The Yellow SeaThe Yellow Sea is a shallow, flat-bottomed, and partly enclosed inlet of the Pacific O
The Yellow SeaThe Yellow Sea is a shallow, flat-bottomed, and partly enclosed inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Its main bulk lies to the southwest of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, extending to the coast of eastern-central China and covering an area of 530,000 square km (205,000 square miles). Further north, there are two extensions of the sea: Korea Bay in the northeast; and the Gulf of Bo Hai in the northwest, into which flows the waters of the Yellow River.The Yellow Sea derives its name from the colour of silt-laden water that is discharged into it from the Yellow River, the Yangtze, and other major rivers. Most of the Yellow Sea floor is continental shelf that only 10,000 years ago was dry land or the estuary of the Yellow River. There are many sand shoals near the coast of China, and several small islands lie off the coast of Korea.A warm current flows from the southeast into the middle of the Yellow Sea, and there are southward flowing currents along the coasts. Tides in the sea are considerable, especially along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, with a maximum tidal range of 8m (27ft). The surface temperature of the sea varies remarkably, from close to freezing in the north in winter to as high as 28°C (82°F) in some of the shallower parts during the summer.The Yellow Sea is particularly rich in bottom-dwelling fish, and this is exploited by fleets of trawlers from China, Japan, and North and South Korea. The Yellow Sea is the northern limit of the range of Green Turtle, which lives near coasts and grazes on algae and sea grass.~ JMImage Credit: The Yellow Sea and River: Labelled for reuse http://bit.ly/1UDwTM1. Accessed on 17.06.16More Info:Korea and the Yellow Sea: NASA Observatory: http://go.nasa.gov/24VNe4b -- source link
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