APPLICATION OF THE CLUSTERING METHOD IN ANALYSING SHALLOW WATER MASSES AND MODIFIED WATER MASSES IN THE HUANGHAI SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA

The idea of modified water masses is introduced and a cluster analysis is used for determining the boundary of modified water masses and its variety in the shallow water area of the Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea) and the East China Sea. According to the specified standards to make the cluster, we have determined the number and boundary of the water masses and the mixed zones.The results obtained by the cluster method show that there are eight modified water masses in this area. According to the relative index of temperature and salinity,the modified water masses are divided into nine different characteristic parts. The water, masses may also be divided into three salinity types. On the TS-Diagram, the points concerning temperature and safinity of different modified mater masses are distributed around a curve, from which the characteristics of gradual modification may be embodied. The variation ranges of different modified water masses are all large, explaining the intensive modification of water masses in th