Wind Effect on Coastal Upwelling in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea

An impact of wind conditions on coastal upwelling in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea was investigated on the basis of monthly mean data on surface wind. The intensity and duration of upwelling were estimated based on the wind-driven offshore Ekman mass transport (upwelling index). In the Sea of Japan, favorable wind conditions for seasonal upwelling (October–April) are observed along the Southern Primorye coast. The eastern Sakhalin shelf experiences coastal upwelling from June to September. Seasonal wind-driven upwelling is observed along the Koryak coast in the Bering Sea, where it develops from June to August and is characterized by significant interannual variability. The results of the wind data analysis for the coastal regions of the Far Eastern seas are consistent with the average long-term (climatic) distribution of sea surface temperature in upwelling areas. The duration of seasonal upwelling in the Far Eastern seas is determined by regional features of the wind regime, which are related to the position and intensity of the atmospheric centers of action.