Interannual variability of the Kuroshio intrusion in the South China Sea

The interannual variability of intrusions of the Kuroshio into the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated using satellite remote sensing data supported by in-situ measurements. The mesoscale circulation of the SCS is predominantly wind-forced by the northeast winter and southwest summer monsoons. Although the region has been studied extensively, considerable uncertainty remains about the annual and interannual mesoscale nature of the circulation. The frequency and characteristics of Kuroshio intrusions and their effect on circulation patterns in the northeast SCS are also not well understood. Satellite observations of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Sea Surface Height Anomalies (SSHA) from TOPEX/ Poseidon for the period 1997–2005 are used here to analyze the annual and interannual variability in Kuroshio intrusions and their effects on the region. Analysis of SST and SSHA shows the formation and characteristics of intrusions vary considerably each year. Typically, the intrusion occurs in the central region of Luzon Strait and results in an anticyclonic circulation in the northeastern SCS. However, in some years, the intrusion is located in the northern portion of Luzon Strait and a cyclonic intrusion results. Wind stress and wind stress curl derived from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) QuikSCAT satellite scatterometer are used to evaluate the relationship between wind stress or wind stress curl and the presence of winter Kuroshio intrusions into the SCS.     

南海表层流场的卫星跟踪浮标观测结果分析

运用卫星跟踪漂移浮标资料分析南海表层海流 ,研究了有关海域的表层海流特征。结果表明 ,秋、冬季入侵南海的黑潮水有一小部分沿台湾南岸折回黑潮主干 ,并有时在台湾西南外海形成反气旋涡旋 ,其余大部分黑潮水西行进入南海内部。吕宋岛西部沿岸流始于 1 3°N以南 ,沿菲律宾西海岸北上抵达吕宋岛西北角 ,与黑潮水混合后西行     

利用被动示踪物模拟对黑潮入侵南海的数值研究

由于缺少观测数据和对黑潮水准确定义,很难识别出从太平洋入侵到南海的黑潮水团。本文基于一个经过观测验证的三维模式MITgcm,利用被动示踪物标记黑潮水,研究了入侵南海的黑潮水的时空变化。研究表明,在冬季,黑潮水入侵的范围最广,几乎占据了18°N-23°N和114°E-121°E的区域;并有一个分支进入台湾海峡;黑潮入侵的范围随深度增加逐渐减小。在夏季,黑潮水被限制在118°E以东,且没有分支进入台湾海峡;入侵的范围从海面到约205米是增大的,之后随深度增加逐渐减小。通过分析从2003年到2012年黑潮入侵的年际变化,与厄尔尼诺年和正常年相比,冬季黑潮入侵后向台湾海峡的分支在拉尼娜年是最弱的,这可能与中国大陆东南方向的风应力旋度有关。通过吕宋海峡的黑潮入侵通量（KIT）是西向的,其年平均值约为-3.86×10⁶ m³/s,大于吕宋海峡通量（LST,约-3.15×10⁶ m³/s）。250米以上的KIT约占了全深度通量的60-80%。此外,从2003年到2012年KIT与Niño 3.4指数的相关系数到达0.41,小于LST与Niño 3.4指数的相关系数0.78。     

Seasonal characteristics and forcing mechanisms of the surface Kuroshio branch intrusion into the South China Sea

Using observational data of Argos satellite-tracked drifters from 1988 to 2012, we analyzed seasonal characteristics of the surface Kuroshio branch(KB) intrusion into the South China Sea(SCS). The analysis results are as follows.The surface KB originates from the southern Balintang Channel(BLTC) and Babuyan Channel(BBYC). It begins in late September, reaches peak strength in November–December, and declines at the end of March. The mean speed of drifters along the KB path during their traverse of the Luzon Strait(LS) was 43% faster than during the two days before entering the LS for the flow originating from the southern BLTC, but there was a 24% increase in speed for the flow from the BBYC. The observations show that in winter, monthly-mean sea-level anomalies(SLAs) were positive southwest of Taiwan Island and extended to the northern LS. The SLAs were negative northwest of Luzon Island and extended to the southern LS, which acted like a pump, forcing a part of Kuroshio water westward into the SCS. The condition under which the KB forms was solved by a set of simplified motion equations. The results indicate that whether the KB can form depends upon the sea-level gradient at the central LS and region to the west, as well as the location, speed and direction of Kuroshio surface water when it enters the LS.     

南海北部冬季和夏季逆风流机制初探──Ⅰ．季风逆风流诊断方程及其诊断判据

通过简化原始运动方程，得到南海北部季风逆风流诊断方程，对季风逆风流诊断方程进行必要的数学处理后，导出南海北部产生季风逆风流的必要条件和诊断判据；指出南海北部季风逆风流由风生直接逆风流与风生间接逆风流叠加而成，风生间接过风流由风生间接正压地转逆风流与风生间接斜压地转逆风流组成，还导出风致巴士海峡以东的黑潮水影响季风逆风流的判据，在合适的风向及适当的摩擦系数情况下，黑潮水可成为间接逆风流的热源。并首次提出风生直接逆风流、风生间接逆风流、正压逆风流、斜压逆风流、风生间接正压地转逆风流和风生间接斜压地转逆风流概念。     

吕宋和台湾岛以东黑潮季节与年际变化规律的对比分析

黑潮是北太平洋副热带环流系统的一支重要的西边界流。前人对不同流段黑潮的季节和年际变化进行了诸多研究,然而基于不同数据所得结论仍存在差异,尤其是不同模式计算所得流量差别很大,而且以往研究往往着眼于某一流段,对不同流段黑潮变化之间的异同及其原因涉及较少。本文基于卫星高度计数据,评估了OFES(Ocean generalcir culation model For the Earth Simulator)和HYCOM(Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model)两个模式对吕宋岛和台湾岛以东黑潮季节与年际变化的模拟能力,进而对两个海域黑潮变化的异同及其物理机制进行了分析。结果表明:HYCOM模式对黑潮季节变化的模拟较好,而OFES模式对黑潮年际变化的模拟较好。吕宋岛以东黑潮和台湾岛以东黑潮在季节与年际尺度上的变化规律均不相同,且受不同动力过程控制。吕宋岛以东黑潮呈现冬春季强而秋季弱的变化规律,主要受北赤道流分叉南北移动的影响;而台湾岛以东黑潮呈现夏季强冬季弱的变化特点,主要受该海区反气旋涡与气旋涡相对数目的季节变化影响。在年际尺度上,吕宋岛以东黑潮与北赤道流分叉及风应力旋度呈负相关,当风应力旋度超前于流量4个月时相关系数达到了-0.56;而台湾岛以东黑潮的流量变化则受制于副热带逆流区涡动能的变化,且滞后于涡动能9个月时达到最大正相关,相关系数为0.44。本研究对于深入理解不同流段黑潮的多尺度变异规律及其对邻近海区环流与气候的影响具有重要意义,同时对于黑潮研究的数值模式选取具有重要参考价值。     

Forced Rossby wave in the northern South China Sea

Time-longitude diagrams of monthly anomalies of TOPEX/Poseidon sea surface height (SSH), Levitus steric height, COADS wind stress curl, as well as meridional surface wind averaged over the northern South China Sea (SCS) from 18° to 22°N, exhibit a coherent westward phase propagation, with a westward propagation speed of about 5 cm s⁻¹. The consistency between oceanic and atmospheric variables indicates that there is a forced Rossby wave in the northern SCS. The horizontal patterns of monthly SSH anomalies from observations and model sensitivity experiments show that the forced Rossby wave, originating to the northwest off Luzon Island, actually propagates west-northwestward towards the Guangdong coast because of zonal migration of the meridional surface wind. The winter Luzon Cold Eddy (LCE), which has been found from field observations, can be identified as a forced Rossby wave with a negative SSH anomaly in winter. It corresponds to strong upwelling and a negative temperature anomaly. Sensitivity experiments show that the wind forcing controls the generation of the LCE, while the Kuroshio is of minor importance.     

南海上层海洋次中尺度过程空间差异和季节变化特征

南海是西太平洋最大的边缘海, 由于受季风影响显著以及北部海域的黑潮入侵, 其动力环境复杂多变, 次中尺度过程丰富, 且在空间上和时间上存在多变性。文章基于高分辨率数值模式的结果, 通过对次中尺度动力参数的分析, 对比讨论了南海北部、中部、西部和南部海域4个典型子区域上层海洋次中尺度过程的空间差异、季节变化、影响深度、影响因素等问题。研究发现各区域季节性变化特征和机制有所不同: 北部海域受冬季风和黑潮入侵影响, 冬季次中尺度的混合层不稳定较强; 中部海域同样表现为“冬强夏弱”; 西部海域受夏季风影响显著, 夏季次中尺度过程更为活跃; 而南部海域主要受岛屿地形影响较大, 容易产生地形尾涡, 季节性特征不明显。统计分析表明, 次中尺度过程往往表现出强正相对涡度与高应变特征, 在表层更容易出现负位涡, 流体稳定性较差。此外, 文章从能量学角度对次中尺度过程的主要能量来源、控制因素等进行了讨论。     

Seasonal variation of eddy shedding from the Kuroshio intrusion in the Luzon Strait

Altimeter data and output from the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model global assimilation run are used to study the seasonal variation of eddy shedding from the Kuroshio intrusion in the Luzon Strait. The results suggest that most eddy shedding events occur from December through March, and no eddy shedding event occurs in June, September, or October. About a month before eddy shedding, the Kuroshio intrusion extends into the South China Sea and a closed anticyclonic eddy appears inside the Kuroshio loop which then detaches from the Kuroshio intrusion. Anticyclonic eddies detached from December through February move westward at a speed of about 0.1 m s⁻¹ after shedding, whereas eddies detached in other months either stay at the place of origin or move westward at a very slow speed (less than 0.06 m s⁻¹). The HYCOM outputs and QuikSCAT wind data clearly show that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding is influenced by the monsoon winds. A comparison between eddy volume and integrated Ekman transport indicates that, once the integrated Ekman transport exceeds 2 × 10¹² m³ (which roughly corresponds to the volume of an eddy), the Kuroshio intrusion expands and an eddy shedding event occurs within 1 month. We infer that the Ekman drift of the northeasterly monsoon pushes the Kuroshio intrusion into the SCS, creates a net westward transport into the Strait, and leads to an eddy detachment from the Kuroshio.     

A high-resolution numerical modeling study of the subtidal circulation in the northern South China Sea

A high-resolution, regional, numerical-model-based, real-time ocean prediction system for the northern South China Sea, called the Northern South China Sea Nowcast/Forecast System (NSCSNFS), has been used to investigate subtidal mesoscale flows during the time period of the Asian Seas International Acoustic Experiment (ASIAEX) field programs. The dynamics are dominated by three influences; 1) surface wind stress, 2) intrusions of the Kuroshio through Luzon Strait, and 3) the large-scale cyclonic gyre that occupies much of the northern South China Sea. Each component primarily drives currents in the upper ocean, so deep currents are rather weak. Wind stress is especially effective at forcing currents over the shallow China shelf. The Kuroshio intrusion tends to flow westward until it meets the northern edge of the large-scale cyclonic gyre. Together, these currents produce an intense, narrow jet directed northwest toward the continental slope, often in the region of the ASIAEX field programs. Upon reaching the slope, the current splits with part flowing northeastward along the slope and part flowing southwestward, producing large horizontal and vertical shears and making this region dynamically very complicated and difficult to simulate. The Kuroshio intrusion tends to be stronger (weaker) when the northeasterly winds are strong (weak) and the large-scale gyre is farther south (north), consistent with conclusions from previous model studies. At the northern boundary, the model produces a persistent northward flow through Taiwan Strait into the East China Sea. Data assimilation in the NSCSNFS model is shown to dampen the system, extracting energy and causing the entire system to spin down.     

Intrusion of the Kuroshio into the South China Sea,in September 2008

Using widespread conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) data in the Philippine Sea and northern South China Sea near the Luzon Strait together with altimeter data, we identified an intrusion of water from the Kuroshio into the South China Sea (SCS) through the Luzon Strait in September 2008. The Kuroshio water obviously intruded into the SCS from 20 to 21°N, and existed mainly in the upper 300 m. The intrusion water extended as far west as 117°E, then looped around in an anticyclonic eddy and returned to the Philippine Sea further north. The dynamics of the Kuroshio intrusion are discussed using a 1.5-layer nonlinear shallow-water reduced-gravity model. The analysis suggests that the strong cyclonic eddy to the east of the Kuroshio in September 2008 was of benefit to the intrusion event.     

The dependence of precipitation on wind direction over the Kuroshio front in the winter East China Sea

This study investigates atmospheric responses to the directions of surface wind over the Kuroshio front in the East China Sea, using wintertime satellite-derived data sets. Composite maps of sea surface temperature, wind speed, precipitation, turbulent heat flux, surface wind divergence, and the curl of wind vectors above the atmospheric boundary layer are depicted based on the classification of intense northeasterly (along the front) and northwesterly (across the front) winds over the East China Sea. When northeasterly winds prevail, considerable precipitation occurs on the offshore side of the Kuroshio front, in contrast to periods when northwesterly winds prevail. First, the northeasterly winds strengthen above the front because of the downward transfer of momentum from the fast-moving air at higher levels and/or an adjustment of sea level pressure over the oceanic front, although the process by which the influence of the Kuroshio penetrates beyond the marine atmospheric boundary layer remains unclear. Second, a cyclonic vortex forms above the marine atmospheric boundary layer (at 850-hPa height) on the offshore side of the front, and thereafter, surface wind convergence via Ekman suction (hence, enhanced precipitation) occurs over the East China Sea shelf breaks. The northeasterly winds blow over the East China Sea when the Aleutian Low retreats to the east and when high sea level pressure covers the northern Sea of Japan.     

Variations of eddy kinetic energy in the South China Sea

Fifteen years of merged altimetric data were used to acquire the seasonal to interanual variations of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in the South China Sea (SCS). The results show that climatological mean EKE in the SCS ranges from 50 cm²/s² to 1,400 cm²/s², with high values in the regions southeast of Vietnam and southwest of Taiwan Island. The amplitude of the annual harmonic of the EKE is characterized by high values to the southeast of Vietnam where the maximum exceeds 800 cm²/s². The EKE in the northern SCS reaches its maximum in August-February, while it peaks in September–December in the southern SCS. Besides the seasonal variation, the EKE also shows strong interannual variation, which has a negative (positive) anomaly in boreal winter during El Niño (La Niña) events. The interannual variation of local wind stress curl associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation events may be the cause of the interannual variation of the EKE in the SCS.     

基于多源融合卫星高度计观测数据的南海海浪有效波高的季节变化研究

The seasonal variability of the significant wave height(SWH) in the South China Sea(SCS) is investigated using the most up-to-date gridded daily altimeter data for the period of September 2009 to August 2015. The results indicate that the SWH shows a uniform seasonal variation in the whole SCS, with its maxima occurring in December/January and minima in May. Throughout the year, the SWH in the SCS is the largest around Luzon Strait(LS) and then gradually decreases southward across the basin. The surface wind speed has a similar seasonal variation, but with different spatial distributions in most months of the year. Further analysis indicates that the observed SWH variations are dominated by swell. The wind sea height, however, is much smaller. It is the the largest in two regions southwest of Taiwan Island and southeast of Vietnam Coast during the northeasterly monsoon, while the largest in the central/southern SCS during the southwesterly monsoon. The extreme wave condition also experiences a significant seasonal variation. In most regions of the northern and central SCS, the maxima of the 99 th percentile SWH that are larger than the SWH theoretically calculated with the wind speed for the fully developed seas mainly appear in August–November, closely related to strong tropical cyclone activities.Compared with previous studies, it is also implied that the wave climate in the Pacific Ocean plays an important role in the wave climate variations in the SCS.     

Upper Ocean Sensitivity to Wind Forcing in the South China Sea

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Layered Ocean Model (NLOM) has been used to investigate the sensitivity of the upper South China Sea (SCS) circulation to various atmospheric wind forcing products. A 1/16° 6-layer, thermodynamic Pacific Ocean north of 20°S version of NLOM has been integrated using observed climatological monthly mean winds (Hellerman and Rosenstein, 1983) and climatologies based on two atmospheric prediction models: the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). ECMWF products include the 10 meter winds (at both 1.125° and 2.5° resolution) and surface stresses (1.125°). The NCEP forcing (1.875°) is a surface stress product. Significant differences exist in the wind stress curl patterns and this is reflected in the upper ocean model response, which is compared to observational data. The model experiments suggest the generation of the West Luzon Eddy is controlled by positive wind stress curl. The degree of Kuroshio intrusion into the SCS, however, is not affected by wind stress curl but is governed by the coastline geometry of the island chain within Luzon Strait. The summertime offshore flow from the Vietnamese coast is present in all simulations but the dipole structure on either side of the jet is variable, even among experiments with similar wind stress curl patterns. The ECMWF surface stresses exhibit spurious coastal wind stress curl patterns, especially in locations with significant orographic features. This manifests itself in unrealistic small scale coastal gyres in NLOM. High resolution basin-scale and coastal models might be adversely affected by these stresses. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Low frequency current variability on the shelf break northeast of Taiwan

A buoy-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler was deployed on the shelf break off the northeast coast of Taiwan to monitor current variations in the upper ocean. The acquired data show that the flow in the upper water column was initially southwest and then abruptly turned northwest. This abrupt change occurred in mid-October, starting from the surface layer and then gradually extending to the deeper layer. In contrast with this flow, the flow in the lower water column was southwest over the entire record, but its amplitude was reduced after the middle of October. The abrupt change of current from southwest to northwest is related to the intrusion of Kuroshio. Examination of two CTD casts showed the salinity of the upper ocean to have increased after the directional shift in mid-October, further indicating the Kuroshio intrusion. The sea level data at Keelung provided other evidence for the intrusion of Kuroshio. The sea level descended as the intrusion occurred and kept the low value until the end of the record. The northwest flow, which carried the water away from the northern coast of Taiwan, is responsible for this descent. Although the intrusion of Kuroshio was mainly confined to the upper ocean, it did have influence on the whole water column. Examination of the wind record at Pengchiayu showed that the time of Kuroshio intrusion was not coincident with the intensification of the northeasterly monsoon. The local wind and the current at 20 m were incoherent. Both the variation of Kuroshio current and the fluctuation of Kuroshio path may be responsible for the variation of the local current. Since the intrusion of Kuroshio has a weak relationship with local wind variation, it appears to be induced by non-local factors.     

The Kuroshio near the Luzon Strait and circulation in the northern South China Sea during August and September 1994

Wind data from NCEP and hydrographic data obtained from August 28 to September 10, 1994 have been used to compute circulation in the northern South China Sea and near Luzon Strait using three-dimensional diagnostic models with a modified inverse method. The numerical results are as follows: the main Kuroshio is located above 400 m levels near Taiwan’s eastern coast and above 800 m levels away from it. Near Luzon Strait above 400 m levels a branch of the Kuroshio joins with a part of the northward current, which comes from an area west of Luzon’s western coast and intrudes northwestward, then it branchs into western and eastern parts near 20°30′ N. The eastern part flows northward into an area east of Taiwan, while its western part continues to intrude northwestward, flowing through an area southwest of Taiwan. Net westward intruded volume transport through longitude Section AB at 121°00′ E from 19°00′ N to 21° 43′ N is about 3.5 × 10⁶ m³s⁻¹ in a layer above 400 m levels. The anticyclonic eddies W1 and W3 exist above 700 m levels east of Dongsha Islands and below 200 m levels in the eastern part of the region, respectively. The circulation in the middle region is dominated mainly by a basin-scale cyclonic gyre, and consists of three cyclonic eddies. Strong upwelling occurs in the middle region. The joint effect of baroclinity and relief and interaction between wind stress and relief both are important for real forcing of flow across contours of fH ⁻¹ in effecting the circulation pattern.     

南海环流动力机制研究综述

南海的环流复杂,但通过近20 a来的研究工作,国内外学者对此已取得了不少的成果.本文就南海环流框架性的问题,综述了有关的文献,认为对南海上层海洋三方面的环流分量的驱动机制已有了初步的认识.这三方面分别是:(1)准季节性风场;(2)黑潮向南海的净输运;(3)黑潮向南海的涡度平流输送.但是对这些驱动的时空变化仍相当不清楚.三者皆增强了南海北部的海盆尺度气旋式环流,其强化的西南向西边界流靠近东沙群岛,建议称为“东沙海流”.没有水文证据显示黑潮水是以分支形式进入南海,其向南海的输运也不可能主要通过中尺度涡过程,具体机制有待研究.每年在南海生成的中尺度涡平均约有10个,风场与沿岸地形所生成的强风应力旋度可能是其主要的驱动机制.作为框架性的认识,也有三方面的工作进行得较少,即:(1)吕宋海峡的上层水交换;(2)南海的中尺度涡生成机制,虽然强风应力旋度及前述的第三种环流驱动机制也有中尺度涡伴生;(3)自吕宋海峡进入的深层水对南海上层海洋环流的影响.     

南海的季节环流─TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星测高应用研究

应用1992～1996年的TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计遥感资料,研究了冬、夏季风强盛期多年平均的南海上层环流结构。研究结果表明,南海上层流结构呈明显的季节变化,在很大程度上受该海区冬、夏交替的季风支配。冬季总环流呈气旋型,并发育有两个次海盆尺度气旋型环流;夏季总环流大致呈反气旋型、但在南海东部18°N以南海域未见明显流系发育。研究还表明,南海环流的西向强化趋势明显,无论冬、夏在中南半岛沿岸和巽他陆架外缘均存在急流,其流向冬、夏相反,是南海上层环流中最强劲的一支。鉴于该海流的动力特征与海洋动力学中定义的漂流不同,有相当大的地转成分,建议称为“南海季风急流(South China Sea MonsoonJet)”.冬季南下的季风急流在南海南部受巽他陆架阻挡折向东北,沿加里曼丹岛和巴拉望岛外海有较强东北向流发育。夏季北上的季风急流在海南岛东南分为两支:北支沿陆架北上,似为传统意义上的南海暖流;南支沿18°N向东横穿南海后折向东北;二者之间(陆架坡折附近)为弱流区。两分支在汕头外海汇合后,南海暖流流速增强。就多年平均而言,黑潮只在冬季侵入南海东北部,并在南海北部诱生一个次海盆尺度的气旋型环流,这时南海暖流只出现在汕头以东海域.夏季南海北部完全受东北向流控制,未见黑潮入侵迹象.用卫星跟踪海面漂流浮标观测进行的对比验证表明,以上遥感分析结果与海上观测一致。     

A Review on the Currents in the South China Sea: Seasonal Circulation, South China Sea Warm Current and Kuroshio Intrusion

Researches on the currents in the South China Sea (SCS) and the interaction between the SCS and its adjacent seas are reviewed. Overall seasonal circulation in the SCS is cyclonic in winter and anticyclonic in summer with a few stable eddies. The seasonal circulation is mostly driven by monsoon winds, and is related to water exchange between the SCS and the East China Sea through the Taiwan Strait, and between the SCS and the Kuroshio through the Luzon Strait. Seasonal characteristics of the South China Sea Warm Current in the northern SCS and the Kuroshio intrusion to the SCS are summarized in terms of the interaction between the SCS and its adjacent seas.