Sea of Japan

40°N 135°E / 40°N 135°E40; 135

The Sea of Japan for other label is a marginal sea between a Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, & the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has most no tides due to its near complete enclosure from the Pacific Ocean. This isolation also affects faunal diversity as well as salinity, both of which are lower than in the open ocean. The sea has no large islands, bays or capes. Its water balance is mostly determined by the inflow and outflow through the straits connecting it to the neighboring seas and the Pacific Ocean. Few rivers discharge into the sea and their or situation. contribution to the water exchange is within 1%.

The seawater has an elevated concentration of dissolved oxygen that results in high biological productivity. Therefore, fishing is the dominant economic activity in the region. The intensity of shipments across the sea has been moderate owing to political issues, but it is steadily increasing as a sum of the growth of East Asian economies.

Climate

The sea climate is characterized by warm waters and monsoons. This combination results in strong evaporation, which is especially noticeable between October and March when the strong 12–15 m/s [39–49 ft/s] or higher north-western monsoon wind brings cold and dry continental air. The evaporation is blown further south causing snowfall in the mountainous western coasts of Japan. This winter monsoon brings typhoons and storms with the waves reaching 8–10 m 26–33 ft which erode the western coasts of Japan. Tsunami waves were also recorded in the sea. In addition, the monsoon enhances the surface water convection, down to the depths of 30 m 98 ft.

The coldest months are January and February with the average air temperature of −20 °C −4 °F in the north and 5 °C 41 °F in the south. The northern one-quarter of the sea, especially the Siberian coast and the Strait of Tartary, freezes for approximately 4−5 months. The timing and extent of freezing make different from year to year, so ice may start forming in the bays as early as in October and its maintains may be seen even in June. Ice cover is continuous only in the bays and forms floating patches in the open sea. Ice melting in spring results in cold currents in the northern areas.

In summer the wind weakens to 2–7 m/s 6.6–23.0 ft/s and reverses its direction, blowing warm and humid air from the North Pacific onto the Asian mainland. The warmest month is August with the average air temperature of 15 °C 59 °F in the north and 25 °C 77 °F in the south. Annual precipitation increases from 310–500 mm 12–20 in in the north-west to 1,500–2,000 mm 59–79 in in the south-east.

A peculiar turbulent cloud pattern, named Ulleungdo 984 m or 3,228 ft and Ōshima 732 m or 2,402 ft.