The Japan/East Sea is a marginal sea strategically placed between the world’s largest land mass and the world’s largest ocean. The Eurasian land mass extending to high latitudes generates several unique winter synoptic weather features, the most notable being the vast Siberian Anticyclone that covers much of the northeast Asian land mass. The Japan/East Sea’s very distinctive winter conditions result from being on the east side of the Eurasian landmass at mid-latitudes. The resulting winter atmospheric conditions over the Sea include the mean cold air flowing off Siberia that is occasionally spiked with severe very-cold-air outbreaks.

Dorman, C.E., C.A. Friehe, D. Khelif, A. Scotti, J. Edson, R.C. Beardsley, R. Limeburner, and S.S. Chen. 2006. Winter atmospheric conditions over the Japan/East Sea: The structure and impact of severe cold-air outbreaks. Oceanography 19(3):96–109, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2006.47.

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