On the typification of hydrological regimes in the sea of Okhotsk

Abstract Based on all available materials from deep-sea oceanographic observations and a diagnostic model for current calculations, the interannual variability of hydrological fields and the dynamics of the Sea of Okhotsk waters for "cold" and "warm" hydrological years have been discussed. The analyzed oceanographic dataset for the Sea of Okhotsk contained 101,508 stations from 1930 to 2020. The criterion for classifying the hydrological regimes of the Sea of Okhotsk is discussed, based on measurements of the water temperature of the cold intermediate layer. Despite the frequent use of the chosen criterion, we demonstrated that it is not relevant for classifying the hydrological regimes of the Sea of Okhotsk, as the contribution of salinity to the processes under consideration exceeds that of temperature by 17 times. To identify clearer distinctions in the typical circulation features of the Sea of Okhotsk, it is also necessary to consider the interannual changes in salinity in the region.