Structure and Transport of the Agulhas Current and Its Temporal Variability

Using a year-long moored array of current meters and well-sampled synoptic sections, we define the variability and mean structure and transport of the Agulhas current. Nineteen current meter records indicate that time scales for the temporal variability in the alongshore and offshore velocities are 10.2 and 5.4 days, respectively. Good vertical correlation exists between the alongshore or onshore velocity fluctuations, excluding the Agulhas Undercurrent. The lateral scale for the thermocline Agulhas current is about 60 km and the onshore velocity correlations are positive throughout the Agulhas Current system. Mean velocities from the array determine that the offshore edge of the Agulhas Current lies at 203 km and the penetration depth is 2200 m offshore of the Undercurrent. Hence, daily averaged velocity sections, determined by interpolation and extrapolation of current meter locations, for a 267-day period, from the surface to 2400 m depth and from the coast out to 203 km offshore encompass the main features of the Agulhas Current system. The Agulhas current is generally found close to the continental slope, within 31 km of the coast for 211 of 267 days. There are only five days when the core of the current is found offshore at 150 km. Total transport is always poleward, varying from −121 to −9 Sv, with maximum transport occurring when the core is 62 km from the coast. Average total transport for the 267 day period is −69.7 Sv; the standard deviation in daily transport values is 21.5 Sv; and the mean transport has an estimated standard error of 4.3 Sv. The Agulhas Undercurrent, which hugs the continental slope below the zero velocity isotach, has an average equatorward transport of 4.2 Sv, standard deviation of 2.9 Sv and an estimated standard error of 0.4 Sv. Transports from the moored array are in reasonable agreement with transport results from synoptic sections. Based on time series measurements at about 30° latitude in each ocean basin, the Agulhas Current is the largest western boundary current in the world ocean.     

A modification to the Munk wind-driven ocean circulation theory

In order to fulfill the no-slip condition at the western and eastern boundaries of the ocean basin, introduced ＂effective wind stress＂, which has much larger spatial variations towards the boundaries than in the ocean interior. The effective wind stress can thus be decomposed into spatially slow-varying and fast varying components. Careful scale analysis on the classical Munk winddriven ocean circulation theory, which consists of the interior Sverdrup flow and the western boundary current but of no eastern boundary current, shows that the wind stress curl appearing in the Sverdrup equation must have negligible spatial variations. In the present model the spatially slow-varying component of the wind stress appears in the Sverdrup equation, and the spatially fastvarying component becomes the forcing term of the boundary equations. As a result, in addition to the classical Munk solution the present model has an extra term at the western boundary which （Northern Hemisphere） increases the northward transport as well as the southward return transport, and has a term at the eastern boundary corresponding to the eastern boundary current.     

A Numerical Modeling of the Upper and the Intermediate Layer Circulation in the East Sea

Circulation in the upper and the intermediate layer of the East Sea is investigated by using a fine resolution, ocean general circulation model. Proper separation of the East Korean Warm Current from the coast is achieved by adopting the isopycnal mixing, and using the observed heat flux (Hirose et al., 1996) and the realistic wind stress (Na et al., 1992). The simulated surface circulation exhibits a remarkable seasonal variation in the flow patterns of the Nearshore Branch, the East Korean Warm Current and the Cold Currents. East of the Oki Bank, the Nearshore Branch follows the isobath of shelf topography from late winter to spring, while in summer and autumn it meanders offshore. The Nearshore Branch is accompanied by cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies in a fully developed meandering phase. The meandering and the eddy formation of the Nearshore Branch control the interior circulation in the Tsushima Current area. A recirculation gyre is developed in the region of the East Korean Warm Current in spring and grown up to an Ulleung Basin scale in summer. A subsurface water is mixed with the fresh surface water by winter convection in the northeastern coastal region of Korea. The well-mixed low salinity water is transported to the south by the Cold Currents, forming the salinity minimum layer (Intermediate Water) beneath the East Korean Warm Current water. The recirculation gyre redistributes the core water of the salinity minimum layer in the Ulleung Basin. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

渤海环流与输运季节变化的数值模拟

渤海的风和温度层结有明显的季节变化 ,因而其环流与输运亦有明显的季节信号。以季节平均的海面气象条件和开边界的潮波系统驱动三维斜压水动力模型———HAMSOM ,模拟了渤海冬、夏季的总环流。渤海环流冬强夏弱 ,表层风漂流常被下层逆风流所补偿。深度平均环流 ,即水柱内的输运 ,流型有显著的季节变化 :冬季在渤海中部沿逆时针方向旋转 ,辽东湾顶有一个顺时针流涡 ,阻碍了湾顶水与外海水的交换 ;夏季则为一个大的贴岸的顺时针流环 ,内嵌许多局地涡旋。这些与渤黄东海海洋水文图集中给出的多年观测的环流基本相同 ,同时也被水文要素分布及耐盐浮游动物的出现所佐证。风的季节变化决定了渤海大部分海区、特别是海峡附近环流的季节变化 ,但辽东湾东岸众多的岬角涡旋却不随季节变化 ,因为它们是由潮波系统与岬角岸型变化的非线性相互作用产生的。     

Volume transport of the Soya Warm Current revealed by bottom-mounted ADCP and ocean-radar measurement

The vertical structure of the Soya Warm Current (SWC) was observed by a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in the region of the SWC axis near the Soya Strait during a 1-year period from May 2004. The ADCP data revealed a marked seasonal variability in the vertical structure, with positive (negative) vertical shear in summer and fall (winter and spring). The volume transport of the SWC is estimated on the basis of both the vertical structure observed by the ADCP and horizontal structure observed by the ocean radars near the strait. The transport estimates have a minimum in winter and a maximum in fall, with the yearly-averaged values in the range of 0.94–1.04 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). These lie within a reasonable range in comparison to those through other straits in the Japan Sea.     

Comparative simulation study of effects of eddy-topography interaction in the East/Japan Sea deep circulation

In this study the structure and seasonal variations of deep mean circulation in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) were numerically simulated using a mid-resolution ocean general circulation model with two diffe...     

Numerical Experiments of the Influences of the Transport Variation through the Korea Strait on the Japan/East Sea Upper Layer Circulation

Numerical experiments were performed in order to investigate the effects of variations of the transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait, an inlet of the Japan/East Sea, on the upper layer circulation in the JES based on a 10-month transport observation from May 1999 to March 2000 (Perkins et al., 2000). All external forcings to the model were annual mean fields, except the transport variation through the Korea Strait. In the experiments where the periodic variation of the transport repeated continuously sinusoidally by several periods, strong variability of sea surface height (SSH) was detected in the region extending from the Korea Strait to the Japanese coast due to the geostrophy of the buoyancy forcing at the Korea Strait. The region along the Korean coast is more sensitive to the long-term variations than the short-term (≤60-day period) ones. In two experiments forced by realistic and monthly mean transport, the difference of rms of sea surface height was largest at the Japanese coast and relatively large at the East Korean Warm Current separation region (128∼130°E, 39∼41°N) and to the east of Yamato Rise. The distribution of difference of eddy kinetic energy at 100 m depth between the two experiments was similar to that of the rms of SSH. In the distributions of mean SSH and mean kinetic energy at 100 m depth the realistic transport invokes eddy variability to interact with mean current resulting in the changes of the mean SSH and the mean kinetic energy at the East Korean Warm Current separation region, but it does not produce conspicuous changes in the mean fields of entire JES compared with the mean fields forced by the seasonal transport.     

Interactions of Mesoscale Eddy and Western Boundary Current: A Reduced-Gravity Numerical Model Study

A reduced-gravity primitive equation eddy resolving model is used to study the interaction of a typhoon-induced eddy and a wind-driven general circulation. A typhoon-induced eddy is characterized by a core with a relative vorticity of the same order as the local Coriolis parameter. This eddy is neutrally stable relative to a disturbance induced by the westward advection of the eddy, due to the planetary β-effect. Hence, its evolution in the open ocean is similar to the classical frontal geostrophic eddy. Within the western boundary flow regime, the eddy is entrained northward by the mean circulation. This northward eddy advection and the mean-vorticity advection due to eddy flow induce another disturbance with a north-south asymmetry into the circular eddy. Together with the zonal asymmetric disturbance, associated with the planetary β-effect, the original circular eddy becomes unstable. The nonlinear eddy-flow interactions in the eastern flank of a western boundary current causes the eddy to deform quickly into an ellipse and lose its waters and energy into the mean circulation.     

A Large-Scale Seasonal Modeling Study of the California Current System

A high-resolution, multi-level, primitive equation ocean model has been used to investigate the combined role of seasonal wind forcing, seasonal thermohaline gradients, and coastline irregularities on the formation of currents, meanders, eddies, and filaments in the entire California Current System (CCS) region, from Baja to the Washington-Canada border. Additional objectives are to further characterize the meandering jet south of Cape Blanco and the seasonal variability off Baja. Model results show the following: All of the major currents of the CCS (i.e., the California Current, the California Undercurrent, the Davidson Current, the Southern California Countercurrent, and the Southern California Eddy) as well as filaments, meanders and eddies are generated. The results are consistent with the generation of eddies from instabilities of the southward current and northward undercurrent via barotropic and baroclinic instability processes. The meandering southward jet, which divides coastally-influenced water from water of offshore origin, is a continuous feature in the CCS, and covers an alongshore distance of over 2000 km from south of Cape Blanco to Baja. Off Baja, the southward jet strengthens (weakens) during spring and summer (fall and winter). The area off southern Baja is a highly dynamic environment for meanders, filaments, and eddies, while the region off Point Eugenia, which represents the largest coastline perturbation along the Baja peninsula, is shown to be a persistent cyclonic eddy generation region. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

冬、夏季东海北部悬浮体分布及海流对悬浮体输运的阻隔作用

依据1987年6月、1996年12月、1997年2月和1998年7月在东海北部所取得的悬浮体、温度和盐度资料就该区冬季和夏季的悬浮体分布、影响因素和输运进行了研究,结果表明该区悬浮体分布具有明显的季节性变化,在中、外陆架区悬浮体含量冬季明显高于夏季.悬浮体的分布及输运受到东海环流、风暴和潮流等的影响,其中东海环流的季节性变化是主要影响因素.受台湾暖流的阻隔,冬季和夏季长江入海泥沙在东海基本不能越过124°00'E以东海域.黄海沿岸流携带着老黄河口水下三角洲的再悬浮沉积物向陆架东南扩散,其搬运的量和在中、外陆架区的扩散范围冬季显著大于夏季.在黄海暖流的阻隔下,陆架悬浮体冬季和夏季在32°N断面很少能扩散至126°30'E以东海域.台湾暖流和黑潮爬升水的阻隔作用使得冬季和夏季陆架悬浮体在P-N断面也基本不能扩散至陆架边缘.冬季在东海北部可有部分陆架悬浮体输送到冲绳海槽,但有区域性,其输送的可能位置是在P-N断面以北、32°N断面以南之黄海沿岸流向东南延伸的陆架边缘;夏季陆架悬浮体基本滞留在陆架区.     

基于1987-2010年实测资料对PN断面东海黑潮季节变化的分析

As the spatio-temporal variability of the Kuroshio is highly influenced by mesoscale eddies, representing its seasonal variability characteristics requires sufficiently long term observations to reduce...     

渤海海峡断面温度结构及流量的季节变化

作者采用 POM模式 ,利用从卫星遥感资料反演的风和海表温度 (SST)数据并考虑 M2分潮作用 ,对渤海海域的温度、流场的三维结构进行数值计算。根据数值模式的计算结果 ,重点分析渤海海峡温度结构和水交换的季节变化特征。结果表明风应力和 SST的季节性变化导致渤海海峡的水交换流型、温度结构和流量有明显的季节性变化。     

东海带鱼食性的季节变化

探讨带鱼摄食生态及东海食物网现状。根据2002年12月~2003年11月收集到的带鱼胃含物样品,对其摄食习性的季节变化进行了研究。结果表明,带鱼全年摄食的饵料种类数共有60余种,鱼类和甲壳类为其主要饵料类群。带鱼的食物组成存在季节差异,春季以细条天竺鲷、磷虾和带鱼为主要食物;夏季以带鱼、磷虾、糠虾和刺鲳为主要食物;秋季以口足类幼体、七星底灯鱼和竹荚鱼为主要食物;冬季以带鱼、七星底灯鱼、小带鱼和糠虾为主要食物。摄食强度的季节变化并不明显(P>0.05),秋季最高,夏季最低;各个季节的主要饵料类群组成存在差异,鱼类饵料的重量百分比均最高;饵料多样性指数季节差异并不显著(P>0.05),秋季最高,冬季和夏季较低。通过与历史资料进行比较发现,东海带鱼的食物组成发生了较大的变化,已由过去以磷虾为主转变为以鱼类为主,同时表现出明显的同类相食的现象。     

Study on short-range numerical forecasting of ocean current in the East China Sea——Ⅰ Basic problems of ocean current forecasting and structure of the models

Ocean current forecasting is still in explorative stage of study. In the study, we face some problems that have not been met before. The solving of these problems has become fundamental premise for realizing the ocean current forecasting. In the present paper are discussed in depth the physical essence for such basic problems as the predictability of ocean current, the predictable currents, the dynamical basis for studying respectively the tidal current and circulation, the necessity of boundary model, the models on regions with different scales and their link. The foundations and plans to solve the problems are demonstrated. Finally a set of operational numerical forecasting system for ocean current is proposed.     

南海贯穿流季节变化数值模拟研究

本文采用美国伍兹霍尔研究所研发的海洋-大气-波浪-泥沙输运耦合模式COAWST(Coupled Dcean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport)对南海及邻近海域进行了9 km分辨率的数值模拟研究。结果表明,南海贯穿流的季节变化再现了冬强夏弱的特征,在南海内部冬季呈现气旋环流结构,夏季呈现反气旋环流结构,尤其在冬季其流轴结构更为清晰和稳定,海水从吕宋海峡进入南海,从民都洛海峡、卡里马塔海峡、台湾海峡和巴拉巴克海峡流出,吕宋海峡断面流量与其他4个海峡流量合计在数量级上相当,保持南海海水总量不变。吕宋海峡、卡里马塔海峡、民都洛海峡的流量呈现明显相关性,吕宋海峡流量增大时,民都洛海峡和卡里马塔海峡的流量也相应增大,相关系数分别达到0.78和0.9。通过更适于分析中短期变化的简化绕岛环流理论,定量计算2019年吕宋海峡、黑潮和棉兰老流流量与北赤道流分叉点位置的关系,发现夏季北赤道流分叉点NECBL(North Equatorial Current Bifurcation Latitude)偏南,在13.6°N附近;冬季NECBL偏北,在15.6°N左右,同期黑潮流量减少,棉兰老流流量增加,作为南海贯穿流入流的吕宋海峡流量可达13.4 Sv。吕宋海峡输运补偿了北赤道流到达菲律宾海岸后的北向分支的流量,与棉兰老流的流量呈正相关,相关系数达到0.5361。     

北太平洋大洋钻探研究进展

北太平洋作为全球大洋环流的重要组成部分,在高低纬间热量和物质的传输与再分配方面起到重要的调控作用,进而影响到地球气候系统。基于过去50多年来的大洋钻探工作,前人在北太平洋地球科学的研究上取得了一系列的成果。本文回顾了北太平洋古海洋和古气候方面的研究进展,包括：（1）东亚夏季风和西部边界流演化,以及其对高低纬热量、水汽的传输;（2） 北太平洋中层水和深层水的性质变化、分布范围和驱动机制,以及冰期旋回中水体垂直交换作用的气候响应;（3） 风尘输入对亚洲内陆古环境的反映,及其对北太平洋生产力的铁肥效应。尽管前人针对上述科学问题都开展了相应的研究工作,但目前在对北太平洋上述几方面的认识上仍然存在着分歧。基于对前人研究的总结概括,本文最后提出了未来北太平洋研究的关键科学问题,强调了多圈层、多系统角度对深入认识过去地球气候系统变化的重要性,并对未来大洋航次开展的理想靶区进行了展望。     

三种垂向混合方案对HYCOM模拟北太平洋西边界流系的影响研究

基于HYCOM(Hybrid Coordinate Oceanic Circulation Model),以OFES(OGCM for the Earth Simulator)资料为参考,分析了KPP、MY2.5、KT三种不同混合方案对北太平洋西边界流系的模拟结果的影响。结果表明:三种不同混合方案模拟的上层海洋平均流场与OFES资料相似,但在流向和流幅上略有差异,其中KPP方案模拟的流速与OFES资料最为接近,MY2.5方案次之,KT方案与其差别最大。通过代表性断面上流速的对比分析,对模式就北赤道流、棉兰老流、棉兰老潜流、黑潮的模拟效果进行比较,KPP方案模拟的效果同前人的观测和研究最为接近。分析了北赤道流,棉兰老流,棉兰老潜流,黑潮的流量的季节变化特征,其中KPP方案与OFES资料计算的棉兰老流和棉兰老潜流的季节变化特征与前人描述比较一致,表现为春强秋弱。KPP方案和OFES资料的计算结果表明,北赤道流和棉兰老流大致上是同向变化的,而在冬季棉兰老流同黑潮的变化基本上是一致的。     

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.     

Characteristic ichthyoplankton taxa in the separation zone of the East Australian Current: Larval assemblages as tracers of coastal mixing

Ichthyoplankton assemblages were compared between regions dominated by the oligotrophic East Australian Current (EAC) and the inner-shelf waters off southeastern Australia, to determine if the early life history of fish was related to the separation of the EAC from the coast, producing different water masses as well as characteristic taxa. Samples were collected at the surface and in sub-surface waters, at 50 and 100 m isobath stations, during two summer research voyages in November 1998 and January 1999. On both voyages the study region was characterized by coastal and EAC waters in the north (∼31°S), and in the south by topographically induced upwelling (∼31°S), associated with narrowing of the continental shelf and separation of the EAC from the coast. Among the 111 families of larval fish, we observed distinctive assemblages of ichthyoplankton associated with the two different water masses. A greater abundance of the Carangidae, Labridae, Lutjanidae, Microcanthidae, Myctophidae and Scombridae was associated with the nutrient poor EAC water mass, while the Callionymidae, Clupeidae, Platycephalidae and Sillaginidae were mostly found in the cooler and/or fresher inner-shelf water mass. We assessed these patterns with opportunistic samples from an unusual, wind-driven upwelling event in the north (∼31°S) earlier in the November voyage. The relative abundance of these 10 characteristic families distinguished this wind-driven upwelling event from the subsequent relaxation and predominance of the EAC assemblage at this location just 6 d later. Distinctive and abundant families such as larval clupeids, relative to larval carangids, could be a useful marker of inner-shelf, EAC and mixed water masses in the absence of robust hydrographic data. This and related studies indicate contrast in early life histories of Sardinops sagax and Trachurus spp., which appear to spawn respectively in the inner-shelf and outer-shelf waters. The post-flexion stages of S. sagax predominate in the outer-shelf and Tasman Front, while post-flexion Trachurus spp. predominate in inner-shelf water masses.