Characteristics of Fronts in the Sea of Japan in Accordance with Vessel and Satellite Measurements

G. I. Yurasov, N. S. Vanin, and A. A. Nikitin

Multi-year water temperature and salinity observation data collected by sea vessels in 1925–1997 allowed revealing thermal and salinity (halinic) fronts in the Sea of Japan. Their geographic location and intensity are described. A near-shore halinic front is detected at 0–50 m, which separates near-shore and open deep-sea water masses. The satellite observations carried out in 1975–2002 were used to compose a generalized scheme of the thermal fronts at the sea surface and to characterize their temporal variability. Main attention is paid to studying the sub-Arctic front, which presents at all the schemes.