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The Yellow Sea, also known as North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms (the others being the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the White Sea), and its name is descriptive of the golden-yellow color of the silt-ridden water discharged from major rivers.The innermost bay of northwestern Yellow Sea is called the Bohai Sea (previously Gulf of Zhili / Beizhili), into which flow some of the most important rivers of northern China, such as the Yellow River (through Shandong province and its capital Jinan), the Hai River (through Beijing and Tianjin) and the Liao River (through Liaoning province). The northeastern extension of the Yellow Sea is called the Korea Bay, into which flow the Yalu River, the Chongchon River and the Taedong River.Since November 1, 2018, the Yellow Sea has also served as the location of “peace zones” between North and South Korea.

Geography

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Yellow Sea (“Hwang Hai“) as follows:WEB,iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf, Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd, 1953, International Hydrographic Organization, 28 December 2020, {{blockquote|The Yellow Sea is separated from the Sea of Japan by the boundary from the southern end of Haenam Peninsula in Jeollanamdo to Jeju Island and divided into the East China Sea by the boundary from the west end of Jeju Island to the Yangtze River estuary.}}

Physiography

File:Yellow Sea, February 24, 2015.jpg|thumb|left|Brown sediment spills out into the Yellow Sea from rivers in eastern China and Korea. The nutrients in the sediment may be responsible for the bloom of (phytoplankton]] seen as blue-green swirls.Sediments and Phytoplankton bloom near the Mouth of the Yangtze, East China Sea {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630015155visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=3289 |date=30 June 2010 }}, NASA, 2002)The Yellow Sea, excluding the Bohai, extends by about {{convert|960|km|mi|abbr=on}} from north to south and about {{convert|700|km|mi|abbr=on}} from east to west; it has an area of approximately {{convert|380000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and a volume of about {{convert|17000|km3|abbr=on}}.Yellow Sea, Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian) Its depth is only {{convert|44|m|abbr=on}} on average, with a maximum of {{convert|152|m|abbr=on}}. The sea is a flooded section of continental shelf that formed after the last glacial period (some 10,000 years ago) as sea levels rose {{convert|120|m|abbr=on}} to their current levels. The depth gradually increases from north to south. The sea bottom and shores are dominated by sand and silt brought by the rivers through the Bohai Sea (Liao River, Yellow River, Hai He) and the Korea Bay (Yalu River). These deposits, together with sand storms are responsible for the yellowish colour of the water referenced in the sea’s name.Yellow Sea, Encyclopædia Britannica on-line The sea annually receives so much sand and silt from rivers such as the Yellow River, that it actually turns into a golden-yellow colour.WEB, A yellow sea,wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/yellow_sea/, WWF, JOURNAL, Niu, Yaoling, Tang, Jie, Origin of the Yellow Sea: an insight, Science Bulletin, 2016, 61, 14, 1076–1080, 10.1007/s11434-016-1113-z, 2016SciBu..61.1076N, 132284722,dro.dur.ac.uk/19290/1/19290.pdf, File:Jungmun Daepo Columnar Joints with waves crashing.jpg|thumb|Waves crashing at Jeju ProvinceJeju ProvinceThe seas surrounding Korea, which occupy a corner of Northeast Asia, border the “island nation” from the east, south, and west. Korea has named these the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea (officially known as the Yellow Sea), respectively.WEB, The Seas of Korea,koreanliteraturenow.com/essay/chung-il-keun-kim-myungin-han-changhoon-kim-hoon-harm-min-bok-seas-korea, 2021-03-29, Korean Literature Now, ko, 9 July 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210709182425/https://koreanliteraturenow.com/essay/chung-il-keun-kim-myungin-han-changhoon-kim-hoon-harm-min-bok-seas-korea, dead, Major islands of the sea include Anmado, Baengnyeongdo, Daebudo, Deokjeokdo, Gageodo, Ganghwado, Hauido, Heuksando, Hongdo, Jejudo, Jindo, Muuido, Sido, Silmido, Sindo, Wando, Yeongjongdo and Yeonpyeongdo (all in South Korea).

Climate and hydrology

(File:DustStyormYellowSea2March2008.jpg|thumb|left|Satellite image of a dust storm over the Yellow sea on 2 March 2008Sand storm over Yellow Sea, nasa.gov)The area has cold, dry winters with strong northernly monsoons blowing from late November to March. Average January temperatures are {{convert|-10|C}} in the north and {{convert|3|C}} in the south. Summers are wet and warm with frequent typhoons between June and October. Air temperatures range between {{convert|10|and|28|C}}. The average annual precipitation increases from about {{convert|500|mm|abbr=on}} in the north to {{convert|1000|mm|abbr=on}} in the south. Fog is frequent along the coasts, especially in the upwelling cold-water areas.The sea has a warm cyclone current, forming part of the Kuroshio Current, which diverges near the western part of Japan and flows northward into the Yellow Sea at a speed of less than {{convert|0.8|km/h|abbr=on}}. Southward currents prevail near the sea coast, especially in the winter monsoon period.File:Rocky shore in Dalian.jpg|thumb|Rocky shore in Dalian, LiaoningLiaoningThe water temperature is close to freezing in the northern part in winter, so drift ice patches and continuous ice fields form and hinder navigation between November and March. The water temperature and salinity are homogeneous across the depth. The southern waters are warmer at {{convert|6|-|8|C}}. In spring and summer, the upper layer is warmed up by the sun and diluted by the fresh water from rivers, while the deeper water remains cold and saline. This deep water stagnates and slowly moves south. Commercial bottom-dwelling fishes are found around this mass of water, especially at its southern part. Summer temperatures range between {{convert|22|and|28|C}}. The average salinity is relatively low, at 30‰ in the north to 33–34‰ in the south, dropping to 26‰ or lower near the river deltas. In the southwest monsoon season (June to August) the increased rainfall and runoff further reduce the salinity of the upper sea layer. Water transparency increases from about {{convert|10|m|sp=us}} in the north up to {{convert|45|m|sp=us}} in the south.Tides are semidiurnal, i.e. rise twice a day. Their amplitude varies between about {{convert|0.9|and|3|m|ft|sp=us}} at the coast of China. Tides are higher at the Korean Peninsula, typically ranging between {{convert|4|and|8|m|sp=us}} and reaching the maximum in spring. The tidal system rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The speed of the tidal current is generally less than {{convert|1.6|km/h|abbr=on}} in the middle of the sea, but may increase to more than {{convert|5.6|km/h|abbr=on}} near the coasts. The fastest tides reaching {{convert|20|km/h|abbr=on}} occur in the Myeongnyang Strait between Jindo Island and the Korean Peninsula.M. J. King, et al. Twinning of Jindo Grand Bridge, Republic of Korea in Current and future trends in bridge design, construction and maintenance 2: safety, economy, sustainability and aesthetics; proceedings of the international conference organized by the Institution of Civil Engineers and held in Hong Kong on 25–26 April 2001 {{ISBN|0-7277-3091-6}} pp. 175, 177The tide-related sea level variations result in a land pass {{convert|2.9|km|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|10|-|40|m|sp=us}} wide opening for approximately an hour between Jindo and Modo islands. The event occurs about twice a year, at the beginning of May and in the middle of June. It had long been celebrated in a local festival called “Jindo Sea Parting Festival”, but was largely unknown to the outside world until 1975, when the French ambassador Pierre Randi described the phenomenon in a French newspaper.The Moses Miracle Of Jindo Island {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127181655www.impactlab.net/2010/07/17/the-moses-miracle-of-jindo-island/ |date=27 November 2020 }}, 17 July 2010Майские фестивали в Чолладо – от “чуда Моисея” до боя быков {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731070212vestnik.tripod.com/articles/korea-festivals.html |date=31 July 2009 }} (in Russian)Jindo Mysterious Sea Road {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303020545eng.jindo.go.kr/sub.php?pid=EN03020200 |date=3 March 2012 }}, Jindo County

Flora and fauna

{{see also|Wildlife of China}}File:Bar-tailed Godwit9may.png|thumb|Migration paths and resting grounds of (bar-tailed godwit]] at the Yellow Sea.Bar-tailed Godwit Updates {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220001224alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/shorebirds/barg_updates.html |date=20 February 2013 }}, USGS)The sea is rich in seaweed (predominantly kelp, Laminaria japonica), cephalopods, crustaceans, shellfish, clams, and especially in blue-green algae which bloom in summer and contribute to the water color (see image above). For example, the seaweed production in the area was as high as 1.5 million tonnes in 1979 for China alone. The abundance of all these plant and animal species increases toward the south and indicates a high sea productivity, accounting for the diversity of fish species and high fish yield from the sea.Chikuni, pp. 8, 16, 19 Several species of goby new to science have been discovered recently{{when|date=July 2023}} in the Yellow Sea.WEB,www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Earth_from_Space_The_Yellow_Sea_of_China, Earth from Space: The Yellow Sea of China, esa, The southern part of the Yellow Sea, including the entire west coast of Korea, contains a {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=mid|-wide}} belt of intertidal mudflats, which has the total area of {{convert|2850|km2|abbr=on}} and is maintained by {{convert|4|-|10|m|abbr=on}}. Those flats consist of highly productive sediments with a rich benthic fauna and are of great importance for migratory waders and shorebirds.Maurice L. Schwartz (2005) Encyclopedia of coastal science, {{ISBN|1-4020-1903-3}} p. 60 Surveys show that the area is the single most important site for migratory birds on northward migration in the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway, with more than 35 species occurring in internationally significant numbers. Two million birds, at minimum, pass through at the time, and about half that number use it on southward migration.Barter, M.A. (2002). Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea – importance, threats and conservation status. Wetlands International Global Series Vol. 9. International Wader Studies Vol. 12. Canberra {{ISBN|90-5882-009-2}}Barter, M.A. (2005). Yellow Sea – driven priorities for Australian shorebird researchers. pp. 158–160 in: “Status and Conservation of Shorebirds in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway”. Proceedings of the Australasian Shorebird Conference, 13–15 December 2003, Canberra, Australia. International Wader Studies 17. Sydney. About 300,000 migrating birds were transiting annually only through the Saemangeum tidal flat area. This estuary was however dammed by South Korea in 1991–2006 that resulted in drying off the land.Saemangeum and the Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program (SSMP) 2006–2008, Birds Korea Land reclamation also took 65% of the intertidal area (of China, North Korea and South Korea) between the 1950s and 2002, and as of 2005 there were plans to reclaim a further 45%.David Lindenmayer, Mark Burgman, Mark A. Burgman (2005) Practical conservation biology, {{ISBN|0-643-09089-4}} p. 172Populations of oceanic megafauna, such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and larger fish, have decreased in modern times, not only due to pollution but also due to hunting. Japanese industrial whalingJOURNAL, The western gray whale: a review of past exploitation, current status and potential threats, Weller, D.,digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1084&context=usdeptcommercepub, J. Cetacean Res. Manage, 4, 1, 7–12, 2023, 10.47536/jcrm.v4i1.861, 35795229, etal, 2016-03-10, free, and illegal mass operations by the Soviet Union with support from JapanJOURNAL, Berzin A., Ivashchenko V.Y., Clapham J.P., Brownell L. R.Jr., 2008, The Truth About Soviet Whaling: A Memoir,digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=usdeptcommercepub, DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2016-03-10, have been major drivers of population decline. Species that reside in the area today include spotted seals, and cetaceans such as minke whales, killer whales,WEB,ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kofis/KSSHBC/2012/v45n5/KSSHBC_2012_v45n5_486.pdf, Distribution of Whales and Dolphins in Korean Waters Based on a Sighting Survey from 2000 to 2010, ocean.kisti.re.kr, 2020-09-19, false killer whales, and finless porpoises, but nonetheless all the remnants of species listed could be in very small numbers. Historically, large whales were very abundant either for summering and wintering in the Yellow and Bohai Seas. For example, a unique population of resident fin whales and gray whalesWEB,www.researchgate.net/publication/275960466, A Gray Area: On the Matter of Gray Whales in the Western North Pacific (PDF Download Available), ResearchGate, were historically presented,Mizroach A.S.. Rice W.D.. Zwiefelhoffer D.. Waite J.. Perryman L.W.. 2009. Distribution and movements of fin whales in the North Pacific Ocean. on The Wiley Online Library. Retrieved on 3 January. 2015 or possibly hosted some North Pacific right whalesWEB,chuansong.me/n/2457684, 我国沿海鲸类（–）– – 须鲸篇（下）_科学公园_传送门, chuansong.me, JOURNAL, 10.1111/cobi.12664, 26632250, 30, 4, A spatially explicit estimate of the prewhaling abundance of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, 2016, Conservation Biology, 783–791, Monsarrat Sophie, 3795740, and Humpback whales (3 whales including a cow calf pair was observed at Changhai County in 2015WEB,www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html,www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20160609191107www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html,">web.archive.org/web/20160609191107www.hilizi.com/html/2015/dalianxinwen_1008/138370.html, dead, 长海又现鲸鱼 这回是好几条, 9 June 2016, 大连长海又见鲸鱼 – 家亲！三条！四条 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602061216www.wedalian.com/wxarticle-show-id-180141.html |date=2 June 2016 }}) year-round other than migrating individuals, and many other migratory species such as Baird’s beaked whales.JOURNAL, Huogen W., Yu W., 1998, A Baird’s Beaked Whale From the East China Sea,en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CHAN805.002.htm, Fisheries Science, 1998-05, CNKI – The China National Knowledge Infrastructure, 2015-09-07, Even blue whales, Japanese sea lions, dugongs (in southern regions only),WEB,wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm, Yellow Sea | WWF, 2016-03-10, dead,wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm," title="web.archive.org/web/20160310083055wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm,">web.archive.org/web/20160310083055wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/yellow_sea.cfm, 10 March 2016, and leatherback turtles used to breed or migrate into Yellow and Bohai seas.Mr.Z. Charlie. 2008. wenwen.sogou.com/z/q103329192.htm?ch=from.t.qq" title="archive.today/20150103130634wenwen.sogou.com/z/q103329192.htm?ch=from.t.qq">我国的渤海里有没有鲸鱼 on Sogou – Wenwen. Retrieved on 3 January. 2015Spotted seals are the only resident species of seal in the Yellow Sea. A sanctuary for these seals is situated at Baengnyeongdo, which is also known for its finless porpoises.WEB,www.sisapress.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=52010, 백령도 어부들의 친구 쇠돌고래, Great white sharks have also been known to prey on seals in the area.WEB,www.vop.co.kr/A00000264188.html, 백상아리, 백령도서 물범 공격장면 êµ­ë‚´ 첫 포착 – 민중의소리, www.vop.co.kr,

Economy

File:PopulationDensityYellowSea.png|thumb|A map of population density around the Yellow Sea in (East Asia]] (1994)Population Density {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722043335visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=116 |date=22 July 2010 }}, NASA, 1994)The coasts of the Yellow Sea are very densely populated, at approximately {{convert|250|PD/km2|sp=us}}. The sea waters had been used for fishing by the Chinese, Korean and Japanese ships for centuries. Especially rich in fish are the bottom layers. About 200 fish species are exploited commercially, especially sea bream, croakers, lizard fishes, prawns, cutlassfish, horse mackerel, squid, eel, filefish, Pacific herring, chub mackerel, flounderChikuni, p. 25 and jellyfish.WEB,asiatimes.com/article/chinas-jellyfish-hauling-mules-dying-breed/, China’s jellyfish-hauling mules a dying breed, AFP, Agence France-Presse, 22 November 2016, www.atimes.com, 2 December 2016, The intensity of fishing has been gradually increasing for China and Korea and decreasing for Japan. For example, the production volumes for China rose from 619,000 tonnes in 1985 to 1,984,400 tonnes in 1996.Fishing Industry {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527120320www.lib.noaa.gov/retiredsites/china/fishing.htm |date=27 May 2010 }}, noaa.gov All species are overfished, however, and while the total catchments are rising, the fish population is continuously declining for most species.Chikuni, pp. 37, 47, 55Navigation is another traditional activity in the Yellow Sea. The main Chinese ports are Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao. The major South Korean ports on the Yellow Sea are Incheon, Gunsan and Mokpo, and that for North Korea is Nampho, the outport of Pyongyang. The Bohai Train Ferry provides a shortcut between the Liaodong Peninsula and Shandong. A major naval accident occurred on 24 November 1999 at Yantai, Shandong, China when the 9,000-ton Chinese ferry Dashun caught fire and capsized in rough seas. About 300 people were killed, making it the worst maritime incident in China.Ferry sinks in Yellow Sea, killing hundreds, 24 November 1999Oil exploration has been successful in the Chinese and North Korean portions of the sea, with the proven and estimated reserves of about 9 and 20 billion tonnes, respectively.China found new large oil field in the Yellow Sea, News.ru, 3 May 2007 (in Russian) However, the study and exploration of the sea is somewhat hindered by insufficient sharing of information between the involved countries. China initiated collaborations with foreign oil companies in 1979, but this initiative declined later.A major oil spill occurred on 16 July 2010 when a pipeline exploded at the north-east port of Dalian, causing a wide-scale fire and spreading about 1,500 tonnes of oil over the sea area of {{convert|430|km2|abbr=on}}. The port had been closed and fishing suspended until the end of August. Eight hundred fishing boats and 40 specialized vessels were mobilized to relieve the environmental damage.China’s worst-ever oil spill threatens wildlife as volunteers assist in clean-up, Guardian, 21 July 2010

State of the environment

The Yellow Sea is considered among the most degraded marine areas on earth.UNDP/GEF. (2007) The Yellow Sea: Analysis of Environmental Status and Trends. p. 408, Ansan, Republic of Korea. Loss of natural coastal habitats due to land reclamation has resulted in the destruction of more than 60% of tidal wetlands around the Yellow Sea coastline in approximately 50 years.JOURNAL, Murray, Nicholas J., Clemens, Robert S., Phinn, Stuart R., Possingham, Hugh P., Fuller, Richard A., 2014, Tracking the rapid loss of tidal wetlands in the Yellow Sea,espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:331832/UQ331832OA.pdf, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 12, 5, 267–72, 10.1890/130260, Rapid coastal development for agriculture, aquaculture and industrial development are considered the primary drivers of coastal destruction in the region. This degree of loss of area, widespread pollution, algal blooms and declines of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna have resulted in the classification of this ecosystem as endangered.JOURNAL, Murray, Nicholas J., Ma, Zhijun, Fuller, Richard A., Tidal flats of the Yellow Sea: A review of ecosystem status and anthropogenic threats, Austral Ecology, 40, 4, 2015, 472–481, 1442-9985, 10.1111/aec.12211,researchonline.jcu.edu.au/60302/1/60302_Murray_et_al-2015-Austral_Ecology.pdf, free, In addition to land reclamation, the Yellow Sea ecosystem is facing several other serious environmental problems. Pollution is widespreadWEB, 2019, Liang Bin,archive.iwlearn.net/yslmep.org/yslmep.org/www.yslmep.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Report-on-Status-and-Trends-of-Marine-Environment-of-Yellow-Sea.pdf, Report on Marine Environmental Status and Trends of the Yellow Sea, and deterioration of pelagic and benthic habitat quality has occurred, and harmful algal blooms frequently occur.NEWS, China’s largest algal bloom turns the Yellow Sea green,www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/04/china-algal-bloom-yellow-sea-green, The Guardian, Invasion of introduced species are having a detrimental effect on the Yellow Sea environment. There are 25 intentionally introduced species and 9 unintentionally introduced species in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. Declines of biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem services in the Yellow Sea are widespread.The tidal flats of the Yellow Sea are considered endangered.

Location of Korean Peace Zones

On 1 November 2018, officials from South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that “peace zones” had been established by the North and South Korean militaries in the Yellow Sea area that touches the North and South Korean demarcation line.WEB,en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20181101002500315, Koreas halt all ‘hostile’ military acts near border, November 2018, A buffer zone was also created in the Yellow Sea’s Northern Limit Line (NLL).{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

See also

• Battle of Chemulpo Bay
• Battle of the Yellow Sea
• Geography of China
• Geography of North Korea
• Geography of South Korea
• Ganghwa Island incident
• Korea strait

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

• Chikuni, S. (1985). The Fish Resources of the Northwest Pacific, Food and Agriculture Organization, {{ISBN|92-5-102298-4}}

{{China Seas}}{{List of seas}}{{Authority control}}