南海夏季风爆发与南大洋海温变化之间的联系

利用1979-2009年NCEP第二套大气再分析资料和ERSST海温资料,分析南海夏季风爆发时间的年际和年代际变化特征,考察南海夏季风爆发早晚与南大洋海温之间的联系.主要结果为:(1)南海夏季风爆发时间年际和年代际变化明显,1979-1993年与1994-2009年前后两个阶段爆发时间存在阶段性突变;(2)南海夏季风爆发时间与前期冬季(12-1月)印度洋-南大洋(0-80°E,75°S-50°S)海温、春季(2-3月)太平洋-南大洋(170°E -80°W,75°S-50°S)海温都存在正相关关系,当前期冬、春季南大洋海温偏低(高)时,南海夏季风爆发偏早(晚).南大洋海温信号,无论是年际还是年代际变化,都对南海夏季风爆发具有一定的预测指示作用;(3)南大洋海温异常通过海气相互作用和大气遥相关影响南海夏季风爆发的迟早.当南大洋海温异常偏低(偏高)时,冬季南极涛动偏强(偏弱),同时通过遥相关作用使热带印度洋-西太平洋地区位势高度偏低(偏高)、纬向风加强(减弱),热带大气这种环流异常一直维持到春季4、5月份,位势高度和纬向风异常范围逐步向北扩展并伴随索马里越赤道气流的加强(减弱),从而为南海夏季风爆发偏早(偏晚)提供有利的环流条件.初步分析认为,热带大气环流对南大洋海气相互作用的遥响应与半球际大气质量重新分布引起的南北涛动有关.     

南太平洋和北太平洋年代际振荡与华北盛夏降水的关系及可能物理机制

利用降水、大气环流和海表温度等多种再分析资料和偏相关方法,研究了1951—2007年南太平洋年代际振荡（SPDO）和北太平洋年代际振荡（即PDO,本文称为NPDO）分别与华北盛夏（7—8月）降水在年代际时间尺度上的关系及其可能物理机制.结果表明：在去除SPDO和NPDO的相关性之前,它们与华北盛夏降水的关系均偏弱;但在去除两者相关性之后,SPDO（NPDO）与华北盛夏降水存在显著正（负）相关关系.去除两者相关性之后,当SPDO处于正位相时,热带西北太平洋海温异常显著偏暖,这将在对流层中下层从热带西太平洋—东亚沿岸激发出"气旋-反气旋-气旋"的负位相东亚—太平洋型遥相关（EAP）波列,该波列导致东亚夏季风异常增强,有利于低纬地区水汽输送至华北地区,从而使得华北盛夏降水异常偏多,反之,当SPDO处于负位相时,华北盛夏降水异常将偏少;对NPDO来说,当其处于正位相时,不仅热带西北太平洋异常显著偏冷,而且印度洋大部分海温异常显著偏暖,在两者共同作用下,对流层中下层从热带西太平洋—东亚沿岸出现"反气旋-气旋-反气旋"的正位相EAP波列,这将引起东亚夏季风异常减弱,不利于低纬地区水汽输送至华北地区,华北盛夏降水异常因此减少,反之,当NPDO处于负位相时,华北盛夏降水异常将偏多.     

南海夏季风季节内振荡特征及其对热带印度洋MJO活动异常的响应

本文采用OLR和风场等NCEP再分析资料、日本APHRO_MA_V1003R1降水资料和CPC提供的MJO指数,分析了1979～2008年南海夏季风的季节内振荡特征和年际差异、对应的低频环流和对流场及降水分布、夏季风ISO的传播路径以及热带印度洋MJO对南海夏季风ISO的影响,发现：（1）气候均态下的南海夏季风在夏季（5～8月）共有3次ISO波动.每一次完整波动中经历发展-最强-减弱-抑制-最弱-恢复的6个位相（弱位相除外）.由于热带低频对流的东传和北传,在阿拉伯海-西太平洋纬带上,1～3位相和4～6位相的低频对流场和环流场呈反位相特征.对应雨带分布在1～3位相和4～6位相也大致呈反位相特征,20°N以南的热带地区主要是雨带随着低频对流的东移而东移,而20°N以北的东亚副热带地区则主要是雨带随着南海低频对流的北移而北移.（2）南海夏季风ISO强度具有显著年际变化特征.在南海夏季风ISO强年,夏季共有3次较强的ISO波动,前两次均来自于热带印度洋ISO先北传到孟加拉湾、再沿10°～20°N纬带东传到南海、在南海加强并激发ISO的北传,构成热带印度洋ISO向我国华南的经纬向接力传播;而在南海夏季风ISO弱年,其振荡强度大为减小且很不规律,ISO的经纬向传播也较弱;在平均状况下,热带印度洋ISO向南海的传播需要约20d左右（1/2个ISO周期）的时间.（3）MJO1（CPC提供的MJO指数第一模态）在4月第1～2候的平均值与南海夏季风ISO强度呈显著负相关,当热带印度洋MJO在4月第1～2候较活跃时,在随后5～8月中也大致偏强,ISO向南海地区的传播也较强,使得南海夏季风ISO加强;反之,则南海夏季风ISO将减弱.MJO在4月第1～2候的异常状况可以为我们预测随后的南海夏季风ISO强度以及分析相关地区的降水异常提供一定的理论依据.     

5月热带印度洋大气大洋耦合环流的统计动力分析

对大气大洋耦合环流作直接的统计动力分析, 即将大气环流风场和大洋上层环流场看作一个整体, 作经验正交函数(矢量)展开, 从而可以得到在统计意义上的海气耦合模态和分析耦合的特征. 应用该方法对5月份热带印度洋区域(含南海)的大气大洋耦合环流进行联合统计动力分析, 得到以下结论: 第1模态是南海夏季风模态, 该模态时间系数序列有明显的两个态, 分别代表季风爆发前、后的大气、大洋环流并与南海夏季风爆发的迟早有密切关系; 在南海夏季风爆发偏早(晚)的年份, 印度洋表层到次表层的海温距平大多呈正(负)IOD形态, 印度洋赤道辐合带的上升运动和在该带南北两侧的动力性补偿下沉运动均偏强(弱); 总的说来该模态中大洋次表层到表层的流与地面风方向一致, 这表明该流是风生流. 第2模态反映ENSO在印度洋的延伸, 其时间系数序列也有两个态, 分别与Niño 3, 4区的海温异常相关较好.     

平流层准两年变化对南海夏季风影响机制的探讨

利用美国大气研究中心(the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR)的中层大气模式模拟了平流层准两年振荡(Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, QBO)过程对对流层顶和对流层上层的影响, 并结合NCEP(the National Centers for Environmental Prediction)/NCAR、欧洲中期天气预报中心(European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, ECMWF)月平均的风场资料和实际的探空观测资料, 分析了平流层QBO对南海夏季风的影响作用. 结果表明: 平流层QBO会引起平流层的异常经向环流并向下传播, 在QBO位相的中后期和位相转换期影响到对流层顶和对流层上层, 使热带和低纬度的对流层上层形成异常的经向气压梯度, 最终在夏季的对流层热带地区激发出不同类型的异常环流—西风位相时, 激发出与南海夏季风环流相反的异常环流, 在南海地区有显著的异常下沉运动, 对南海夏季风有削弱作用; 东风位相时, 激发出反Hadley环流型的异常环流, 在南海地区有明显的异常上升气流, 对南海夏季风有加强的效果. 虽然QBO对南海夏季风经向环流有影响, 但它并不是决定南海夏季风准两年变化的唯一因子.     

FOAM海气耦合模式中印度洋海温年际变化在厄尔尼诺不同发展阶段的影响

热带印度洋与热带太平洋是全球海气耦合最活跃的区域之一,两者的海温场中均存在着显著的年际变化模态,而且这两个洋盆间的海温异常模态间是相互联系的.本文采用一个复杂的全球海气耦合模式,模拟了两组分别包含和不包含热带印度洋海温年际变化对热带大气强迫的耦合试验,对比研究印度洋海温年际变化在厄尔尼诺事件演变中的贡献.结果表明,热带印度洋海温年际变化的存在使得厄尔尼诺事件的成熟期强度增加,且在厄尔尼诺的发展年秋季出现明显的快速增长.但在厄尔尼诺衰亡年,热带印度洋海温年际变化却使得热带太平洋暖海温减弱甚至转变为冷海温,使得厄尔尼诺事件的演变周期减短.具体来讲,发生于厄尔尼诺发展年的印度洋偶极子正异常事件能够在热带印度洋东部到热带西太平洋之间强迫出一支异常的下沉气流及异常Walker环流,加强原有的西太平洋低层西风异常,通过海洋平流及波动调整过程增强厄尔尼诺期间太平洋的暖海温异常;而在厄尔尼诺衰亡年出现的印度洋全洋盆增暖则在南亚季风爆发的背景下,在印度大陆上空产生一支明显的异常上升气流,激发西太平洋东传的Kelvin波及低层大气的东风异常,削弱了热带太平洋洋面的西风异常,促使厄尔尼诺从暖位相向冷位相转化,并使得西北太平洋出现反气旋式大气环流和降水的减少.因此,印度洋海温偶极子模态主要影响厄尔尼诺事件的发展阶段,而印度洋海温洋盆一致变化模态显著影响厄尔尼诺事件的衰亡阶段,两者均可通过改变大气环流而遥强迫太平洋海域.     

夏季西北太平洋大气环流异常及其与热带印度洋-太平洋海温变化的关系

本文分析了夏季西北太平洋大气环流异常特征及其与海温变化的关系,发现夏季西北太平洋异常反气旋/气旋(WNPAC/WNPC)是西北太平洋地区对流层中低层存在的重要大气环流异常现象,与东亚-西北太平洋低纬度至高纬度的经向PJ波列及欧亚中高纬度东西纬向波列的变化有关,通过与中高纬度环流变化的联系,对东亚及欧亚中高纬度气候有重要影响.夏季WNPAC/WNPC与热带海温变化的关系存在明显的不对称性,显著的WNPAC一般出现在El Niño衰减年夏季,与前期El Niño成熟年冬季的赤道东太平洋暖海温异常和El Niño衰减年春夏季印度洋海盆尺度的暖海温异常有明显的正相关关系,进一步表明了WNPAC在El Niño事件影响夏季气候中的重要桥梁作用;而夏季显著的WNPC与前期和同期热带海温变化的关系存在明显的不确定性,主要与夏季热带印度洋和赤道中东太平洋之间东暖西冷的热力差异异常引起的孟加拉湾-赤道西太平洋西风异常有关.进一步分析WNPAC/WNPC与海温变化关系不对称的可能原因,发现El Niño和La Niña衰减年夏季热带印度洋和太平洋海温变化所引起的印-太之间海温(热力)差异的一致性特征可能是导致WNPAC/WNPC与海温变化关系不对称的主要原因.     

热带西太平洋纬向风异常对 ENSO 循环的动力作用

根据观测资料,分析了1982/1983,1986/1987,1991/1992和1997/1998年ElNino事件发展和衰减以及LaNino事件发生过程中赤道西太平洋对流层下层环流和纬向风异常及其作用.结果表明,在ElNino事件发展阶段前,在热带西太平洋上空对流层下层产生气旋性环流异常,从而使印度尼西亚和赤道西太平洋上空产生西风异常;而当ElNino事件发展到成熟阶段,在热带西太平洋上空对流层下层产生反气旋性环流异常,从而使印度尼西亚和赤道西太平洋上空产生东风异常.还利用一个简单的热带海洋动力学模式,计算了20世纪最强的1997/1998ENSO循环过程中赤道海洋波动对实际海表风应力距平的响应.结果表明,热带西太平洋海表附近的纬向风异常,通过激发Kelvin波与Rossby波对ElNino事件的发展与衰减和LaNino事件的发生起到重要的动力作用.     

印度洋偶极子对北印度洋热带气旋活动的影响研究

利用JTWC提供的1981～2010年北印度洋热带气旋路径资料,NECP提供的风场、OLR场等资料,以及NOAA提供的SST资料,使用统计诊断方法研究了北印度洋热带气旋活动时空分布特征及其与印度洋海温的关系.结果表明：北印度洋热带气旋活动频次EOF1占总方差贡献的比例为16%,反映了北印度洋整个海盆尺度热带气旋活动频次变化基本一致的分布形态,但是其空间分布具有不均匀性,表现为以孟加拉湾热带气旋偏西路径变化为主的特征;小波分析表明EOF1模态有显著的准5年变化周期.印度洋偶极子对北印度洋热带气旋活动年际变化影响显著,其影响机制概念模型为：印度洋偶极子处于正（负）位相模态时,印度洋海温异常呈显著的西暖东冷（西冷东暖）型分布,造成北印度洋上空对流减弱（加强）、低层有反气旋（气旋）式环流异常,不利（有利）于热带气旋在北印度洋生成,北印度洋热带气旋活动频次偏少（多）;且可造成孟加拉湾上空西风引导气流加强（减弱）,进一步使得出现在孟加拉湾90°E以西的偏西路径热带气旋偏少（多）.     

不同分布型El Ni?o期间MJO活动的差异

利用Hadley中心的月平均海温资料、NCEP/NCAR和ERA-Interim逐日再分析大气环流数据等,详细对比了赤道大气季节内振荡(MJO)活动在东部型El Ni?o与中部型El Ni?o发展期间的异同点.结果表明,与传统的东部型El Ni?o发展前MJO明显偏强的特征相似,在中部型El Ni?o迅速发展前的春夏季,MJO动能亦较强且持续东传特征显著.这说明无论是东部型El Ni?o还是中部型El Ni?o,与MJO能量的突然增长相联系的低频纬向西风和低频对流活动的增强及其持续东传是激发El Ni?o的重要因素.但是,在中部型El Ni?o发展成熟的冬季至次年春季,热带中西太平洋MJO动能的强度突然再次增强,所占大气总扰动动能的比重也再次增大,热带MJO动能的逐日演变达到第二次峰值,且较第一次峰值更强;MJO从热带印度洋向赤道中东太平洋持续东传的特征也更为显著.这与在传统东部型El Ni?o盛期MJO能量和东传都明显减弱的特征表现出显著的差异.进一步分析指出,中部型El Ni?o成熟期海温正距平中心位置的西移以及由中部型El Ni?o激发的范围偏小、位置偏西的菲律宾附近异常反气旋环流可能是导致中部型El Ni?o盛期MJO活动显著增强的主要原因.     

孟加拉湾夏季风爆发的判断指标及其年际特征

利用高低层大气环流、OLR（向外长波辐射）、CMAP降水、SST（海表温度）等资料分析了孟加拉湾地区3—5月多年气候平均大气环流及不同要素的演变特征,定义了一个新的孟加拉湾夏季风（BOBSM,下同）爆发指标为孟加拉湾地区（5°N—15°N,90°E—97.5°E）850 hPa和200 hPa纬向风区域平均的变化同时满足U850 > 3 m·s^-1和U200 < -5 m·s^-1,并持续5天的第一天即作为BOBSM爆发日期.该季风指数有明确的天气学意义,可以反映孟加拉湾低层西南风持续稳定和南亚高压在青藏高原建立早晚的特征.文章进一步分析了BOBSM爆发的年际特征及其前兆海洋信号特征,结果表明：1981—2010年BOBSM爆发的平均日期为5月10日,季风爆发有显著的年际波动,爆发最早在1999年（4月11日）和最晚在1968年（6月1日）,年代际尺度上表现为由爆发偏晚至偏早的变化趋势;BOBSM爆发早（晚）与热带印度洋地区850 hPa的越赤道气流和西风异常加强（减弱）,以及200 hPa青藏高原南亚高压的季节性建立偏早（晚）等密切联系;前期冬季赤道西太平洋的海温冷（暖）变化对BOBSM爆发早（晚）有很好的指示意义,前期冬季海温偏高（低）有利于季风偏早（晚）,其影响的主要途径是通过热源变化激发纬向垂直环流及其热带印度洋和太平洋低层环流异常,进而影响季风爆发早晚.     

Zonal propagation of kinetic energy and convection in the South China Sea and Indian monsoon regions in boreal summer

As early as in the 1980s, Chinese scientists hadfirst proposed that there exits two summer monsoonsystems in Asia, namely the East Asian summer mon-soon (EASM) and the Indian summer monsoon(ISM)[1-4]. The two monsoon systems are quite dif-ferent in characteristics. Since then, such issue andconclusion had been documented and approved by alot of studies in the past two decades, and was appliedin the guideline of the South China Sea summer mon-soon experiment (SCSMEX), which was undertak…     

On the Predictability of Northeast Monsoon Rainfall over South Peninsular India in General Circulation Models

In this study the predictability of northeast monsoon (Oct–Nov–Dec) rainfall over peninsular India by eight general circulation model (GCM) outputs was analyzed. These GCM outputs (forecasts for the whole season issued in September) were compared with high-resolution observed gridded rainfall data obtained from the India Meteorological Department for the period 1982–2010. Rainfall, interannual variability (IAV), correlation coefficients, and index of agreement were examined for the outputs of eight GCMs and compared with observation. It was found that the models are able to reproduce rainfall and IAV to different extents. The predictive power of GCMs was also judged by determining the signal-to-noise ratio and the external error variance; it was noted that the predictive power of the models was usually very low. To examine dominant modes of interannual variability, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis was also conducted. EOF analysis of the models revealed they were capable of representing the observed precipitation variability to some extent. The teleconnection between the sea surface temperature (SST) and northeast monsoon rainfall was also investigated and results suggest that during OND the SST over the equatorial Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, the central Pacific Ocean (over Nino3 region), and the north and south Atlantic Ocean enhances northeast monsoon rainfall. This observed phenomenon is only predicted by the CCM3v6 model.     

青藏高原热状况和海温异常对亚洲季风季节转换年际变化的影响

本文根据季节转换前后副高脊面附近经向温度梯度变号的本质，利用相关分析和合成分析等方法研究了季节转换年际变化与外部影响因子的联系. 结果表明，冬春季青藏高原热状况和ENSO（El Nio/Southern Oscillation，厄尔尼诺/南方涛动）是决定亚洲季风区季节转换年际变化的主要因素. 当冬、春季海温呈现El Nio异常时，Walker环流减弱，于是西太平洋暖池区对流活动受到抑制，而赤道东太平洋对流活动加强则强迫赤道印度洋地区产生绝热下沉运动，使得印度洋地区大气偏暖，结果增大了南北向温度梯度，季节转换往往偏晚. 反之，季节转换偏早. 初春高原上空对流层中高层的气温异常对于判断季节转换迟早有很好的指示意义.     

Role of Ocean in the Variability of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall

Asian summer monsoon sets in over India after the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves across the equator to the northern hemisphere over the Indian Ocean. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on either side of the equator in Indian and Pacific oceans are found related to the date of monsoon onset over Kerala (India). Droughts in the June to September monsoon rainfall of India are followed by warm SST anomalies over tropical Indian Ocean and cold SST anomalies over west Pacific Ocean. These anomalies persist till the following monsoon which gives normal or excess rainfall (tropospheric biennial oscillation). Thus, we do not get in India many successive drought years as in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the ocean. Monsoon rainfall of India has a decadal variability in the form of 30-year epochs of frequent (infrequent) drought monsoons occurring alternately. Decadal oscillations of monsoon rainfall and the well-known decadal oscillation in SST of the Atlantic Ocean (also of the Pacific Ocean) are found to run parallel with about the same period close to 60 years and the same phase. In the active–break cycle of the Asian summer monsoon, the ocean and the atmosphere are found to interact on the time scale of 30–60 days. Net heat flux at the ocean surface, monsoon low-level jetstream (LLJ) and the seasonally persisting shallow mixed layer of the ocean north of the LLJ axis play important roles in this interaction. In an El Niño year, the LLJ extends eastwards up to the date line creating an area of shallow ocean mixed layer there, which is hypothesised to lengthen the active–break (AB) cycle typically from 1 month in a La Niña to 2 months in an El Niño year. Indian monsoon droughts are known to be associated with El Niños, and long break monsoon spells are found to be a major cause of monsoon droughts. In the global warming scenario, the observed rapid warming of the equatorial Indian ocean SST has caused the weakening of both the monsoon Hadley circulation and the monsoon LLJ which has been related to the observed rapid decreasing trend in the seasonal number of monsoon depressions.     

A Study on Climatological Features of the Asian Summer Monsoon: Dynamics, Energetics and Variability

A continuing goal in the diagnostic studies of the atmospheric general circulation is to estimate various quantities that cannot be directly observed. Evaluation of all the dynamical terms in the budget equations for kinetic energy, vorticity, heat and moisture provide estimates of kinetic energy and vorticity generation, diabatic heating and source/sinks of moisture. All these are important forcing factors to the climate system. In this paper, diagnostic aspects of the dynamics and energetics of the Asian summer monsoon and its spatial variability in terms of contrasting features of surplus and deficient summer monsoon seasons over India are studied with reanalysis data sets. The daily reanalysis data sets from the National Centre for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) are used for a fifty-two year (1948–1999) period to investigate the large-scale budget of kinetic energy, vorticity, heat and moisture. The primary objectives of the study are to comprehend the climate diagnostics of the Asian summer monsoon and the role of equatorial convection of the summer monsoon activity over India.It is observed that the entrance/exit regions of the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ) are characterized by the production/destruction of the kinetic energy, which is essential to maintain outflow/inflow prevailing at the respective location of the TEJ. Both zonal and meridional components contribute to the production of kinetic energy over the monsoon domain, though the significant contribution to the adiabatic generation of kinetic energy originates from the meridional component over the Bay of Bengal in the upper level and over the Somali Coast in the low level. The results indicate that the entire Indian peninsula including the Bay of Bengal is quite unstable during the summer monsoon associated with the production of vorticity within the domain itself and maintain the circulation. The summer monsoon evinces strong convergence of heat and moisture over the monsoon domain. Also, considerable heat energy is generated through the action of the adiabatic process. The combined effect of these processes leads to the formation of a strong diabatic heat source in the region to maintain the monsoon circulation. The interesting aspect noted in this study is that the large-scale budgets of heat and moisture indicate excess magnitudes over the Arabian Sea and the western equatorial Indian Ocean during surplus monsoon. On the other hand, the east equatorial Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal region show stronger activity during deficient monsoon. This is reflected in various budget terms considered in this study.     

耦合模式长期积分中东亚夏季风与ENSO联系的不稳定性

通过对挪威卑尔根全球大气-海洋-海冰耦合模式300a控制积分结果进行交叉子波分析,揭示了东亚夏季风（EASM）与同期Nio3区（90°W～150°W,5°S～5°N）海洋表面温度异常的相关关系在长期变化中是不稳定的,呈现出明显的阶段性特征.气候要素场在二者联系的紧密（HCP）和微弱（LCP）时期差别显著,在HCP时期,西北太平洋对流层低层出现一对耦合的异常气旋和反气旋性环流系统;东南亚地区对流层低层表现为强东风异常,风速的年际变率加大;热带西太平洋对流层温度和位势高度场的年际变率普遍加强.此外,中国夏季降水与同期Nio3区海洋表面温度异常的相关关系在上述两种时期也存在较大差别.     

Turbulent dissipation rates across the Summer Monsoon Current

Ocean Dynamics - During the summer monsoon, the southern Bay of Bengal (BoB) hosts a cyclonic circulation known as Sri Lanka Dome (SLD) and the swift Summer Monsoon Current (SMC), which advects...     

Annual variation of sea surface height,dynamic topography and circulation in the South China Sea

TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry data from 1993 to 1999 were used to study mean annual variation of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) in the South China Sea (SCS) and to reproduce its climatological monthly surface dynamic topography in conjunction with historical hydrographic data. The characters and rules of seasonal evolution of the SCS dynamic topography and its upper circulation were then discussed. Analyses indicate that annual variation of the SCS large-scale circulation could be divided into four major phases. In winter (from November to February), the SCS circulation is mainly controlled by double cyclonic gyres with domination of the northern gyre. Other corresponding features include the Kuroshio intrusion from the Luzon Strait and the northeastward off-shelf current in the area northwest off Kalimantan Island. The double gyre structure disassembled in spring (from March to April) when the northern gyre remains cyclonic, the southern gyre becomes anticyclonic, and the general circulation pattern shows a dipole. There is no obvious large-scale closed gyre inside the SCS basin in both summer (from May to July) and autumn (from August to October) when the SCS Monsoon Jet dominates the circulation, which flows northeastward across the SCS. Even so, circulation patterns of these two phases diverse significantly. From May to July, the SCS monsoon jet flows northward near the Vietnam coast and bends eastward along the topography southeast off Hainan Island at about 18°N forming an anticyclonic turn. It then turns northeastward after crossing the SCS. From August to October, however, the monsoon Jet leaves the coast of Vietnam and enters interior of the basin at about 13°N, and the general circulation pattern becomes cyclonic. The Kuroshio intrusion was not obvious in spring, summer and autumn. It is suggested from these observations that dynamic adjustment of the SCS circulation starts right after the peak period of the prevailing monsoon.