Bottom water at the center of the north East China Sea in summer: Remnant winter water

Data collected during the KEEP-MASS expedition (18–27 July 1992) indicate that there is a low temperature, low salinity water mass occupying the near-bottom area in the north East China Sea (ECS) region. Geographically, the position of this water mass is consistent with a year-round cyclonic eddy. From pHvs.temperature and apparent oxygen utilization correlations, this bottom water shows a distribution pattern quite unlike that in the south ECS. Additionally, the nutrient concentrations are low in the bottom water of the north ECS relative to that of the sub-surface Kuroshio water. All this suggests that the bottom water at the center of the north ECS in summer is primarily remnant winter water, with there being relatively little contribution from recent upwelled Kuroshio water.