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.     

The role of atmospheric circulation in spatial and temporal variations in the structure of currents in the western South China Sea

Based on numerical simulations, we calculate the integral water circulation of the South China Sea on the eastern Vietnam shelf in the Vietnam coastal current area. The main objective of simulations was to study the hydrodynamic structures of this current in the winter–summer interseasonal period. The calculations were performed for the period from April to June 1999, which had the necessary primary field data. Two types of atmospheric processes were considered: the first is characterized by a small pressure gradient over the South China Sea and the second includes tropical cyclones in the southern part of the sea. The simulation results showed that there are three hydrodynamic gyres in the study area during the given time period: two anticyclonic gyres and a cyclonic gyre that separates them, which together form a complex pattern of the Vietnam current. These gyres persist for the given types of atmospheric processes and are quasi-stationary structures. The Vietnam current carries coastal water masses from south to north within the anticyclonic gyres in summer and from north to south within the cyclonic gyres in winter.     

Role of Meso-Scale Eddies on Circulation in the South Eastern Arabian Sea in 2009

Spatial current data were collected from South eastern Arabian Sea during July 2009 (summer monsoon) and December 2009 (winter monsoon) using the vessel mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). During July 2009, observed ADCP currents were flowing southward along 75°E longitude with a complex pattern near the coast. During winter (December 2009), an anti-clockwise rotation of currents was observed in the study region, with its eastern arm along the southwest coast of India. The circulation pattern observed during the two seasons from ADCP measured data does not seem to follow any pattern described in climatology. To investigate this aspect, the geostrophic currents were computed utilizing the multi-mission altimeter sea surface height anomaly data for the corresponding months. The analysis of geostrophic currents indicates the presence of multiple eddies embedded in the Laccadive Low (LL) /Laccadive High (LH). Our present study shows that the meso-scale eddies embedded in the LL and LH play a significant role in deviating the observed circulation from climatology in this region. In addition, generating mechanisms of these eddies are addressed to substantiate our findings. The formation of these eddies is attributed to the local wind force during July 2009 and the enhanced baroclinic instability during December 2009.     

Hydrographic conditions in the Tsushima Strait revisited

Long-term averaged temperature and salinity distributions in the Tsushima Strait are investigated on the basis of a concurrent dataset of the eastern and western channels during 1971–2000. Both temperature and salinity show a clear seasonal variation with weak and strong stratifications in December–April and June–October, respectively. The largest standard deviations occur in summer around the thermocline for temperature and in the surface layer for salinity. This indicates large interannual variability in the development of a thermocline and low salinity water advection from the East China Sea. The water masses in both channels are distinctly different from each other; the water in the western channel is generally colder and fresher than that in the eastern channel throughout the year. Baroclinic transport based on the density distributions shows a seasonal variation with a single peak in August for the eastern channel and double peaks in April and August for the western channel. However, this cannot explain the seasonal variation in the total volume transport estimated from the sea level differences across the channels. The spatial distribution of baroclinic transport shows a year-round negative transport towards the East China Sea behind the Iki Island in the eastern part of the eastern channel. This negative transport reflects the baroclinic structure between the offshore Tsushima Current Water and cold coastal water. The corresponding southwestward currents are found in both Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and high frequency (HF) radars observations.     

Species composition and spatial distribution of euphausiids of the yellow sea and relationships with environmental factors

We investigated species composition and spatial distribution of the euphausiid community in the Yellow Sea and identified the relationship with environmental factors (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate) using bimonthly data from June, 1997 to April, 1998. The environment varied during the sampling period. In warm seasons, thermocline was well developed rendering lower temperature and higher salinity and nutrient concentrations in the bottom layer. During cold seasons the water column was well mixed and no such vertical stratification was noted. Horizontal distribution of temperature, however, differed slightly between near-coast and offshore areas because of the shallow depth of the Yellow Sea, and between southern and northern areas because of the intrusion of water masses such as Yellow Sea Warm Current and Changjiang River Diluted Water. Four euphausiid species were identified:Euphausia pacifica, E. sanzoi, Pseudeuphausia sp. andStylocheron affine. E. sanzoi andS. affine were collected, just one juvenile each, from the southern area in June and December, respectively.Pseudeuphausia sp. were collected in the eastern area all the year round except June.E. pacifica occurred at the whole study area and were the predominant species, representing at least 97.6% of the euphausiid abundance. Further, the distribution pattern of the species was varied in regards to developmental stages (adult, furcilia, calyptopis, egg). From spring to fall,E. pacifica adults were abundant in the central area where the Yellow Sea Bottom Cold Water prevailed. Furcilia and calyptopis extended their distribution into nearly all the study area during the same period. From late fall to winter, adults were found at the near-coastal area with similar pattern for furcilia and calyptopis. The distribution pattern ofE. pacifica was consistent regarding temperature, salinity, and three nutrients during the sampling period, whereas chlorophyll a showed a different pattern according to the developmental stages. The nutrients should indirectly affect via chlorophyll a and phytoplankton concentration. With respect to these results, we presented a scenario about how the environmental factors along with the water current affect the distribution ofE. pacifica in the Yellow Sea.     

东中国海拉格朗日环流数值模拟Ⅱ.环流模拟

依据自适应数值模型，模拟了东中国海冬、夏季三维斜压Lagrange环流。模拟发现：台湾暖流的上层水来自台湾海峡入流和台湾东北黑潮的表层水；50m以下的深底层水主要由台湾东北黑潮的次表层水入侵陆架生成。冬季对马暖流外海一侧主要由黑潮水构成，而其近陆一侧由台湾暖流和陆架混合水构成，西朝鲜沿岸流在济州海峡汇入对马暖流；夏季它还包含转向后的长江冲淡水。冬季黄海暖流并非对马暖流的直接分支，黄海暖流水是对马暖流水和陆架水混合而成，这与传统观点相悖，而与中韩黄海水循环动力学合作调查结果一致。黄海暖流东西两侧分别为2支向南流动的滑岸流。夏季黄海环流构成基本封闭的逆时针环流。冬季渤海环流主要有一逆时针大环流，但辽东湾的环流是顺时针向的。渤海环流冬强夏弱，水流在渤海海峡北进南出。     

舟山渔场及其邻近海域水团的季节特征

根据2001年夏季和2002年冬季两次现场调查所收集的CTD和营养盐资料,利用模糊聚类分析法,对舟山渔场及其邻近海域水团的季节特征进行了分析.结果表明,舟山渔场及其邻近海域水团的配置、分布范围、温盐特性和营养盐含量都有明显的季节特征.其中,冬季在全海域共有3个水团(江浙沿岸水、台湾暖流表层水和黄海混合水),而夏季则存在4个水团(江浙沿岸水、台湾暖流表层水、台湾暖流深层水和黄海混合水);冬季,江浙沿岸水的分布范围较小,温度偏低,盐度略高,营养盐偏高,而夏季,其分布范围较大,温度偏高,盐度偏低,营养盐偏低;冬季,台湾暖流表层水北伸最强,厚度最厚,温度最低,盐度最高,硅酸盐和硝酸盐偏高,而夏季,则北伸最弱,厚度最薄,温度最高,盐度最低,硅酸盐和硝酸盐偏低;台湾暖流深层水是一个季节性水团,它含有较丰富的营养盐;黄海混合水的分布范围和营养盐含量也都呈现出明显的季节特征.     

The Circulation in the Upper and Intermediate Layers of the South China Sea

The circulation in the basin of the South China Sea is reproduced using a four-layer numerical model. Current fields in the second (upper) and third (intermediate) layers are emphasized. Three eddies coexist in the upper layer in summer. The circulation pattern in this layer is similar to that in the first (surface) layer. In winter, a cyclonic circulation occupies the entire basin of the South China Sea in the upper layer as in the surface layer. On the other hand, the circulation pattern in the intermediate layer is fairly different from that in upper two layers especially in winter. A double-gyre pattern appears in the intermediate layer during winter. The pattern is caused by the propagation of the baroclinic Rossby wave of the second mode. This wave is excited at onset of the winter monsoon wind. Such circulation pattern well explains the observed salinity distribution in the intermediate layer. Although the double-gyre pattern in the intermediate layer is revealed even in summer in this model, it is restricted in the western part of the basin. Besides, its current speed is small compared to that in winter.     

Northward transport of pacific summer water along the Northwind Ridge in the Western Arctic Ocean

The recent sea-ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean is not spatially uniform, but is disproportionally large around the Northwind Ridge and Chukchi Plateau compared to elsewhere in the Canada Basin. In the Northwind Ridge region, Pacific Summer Water (PSW) delivered from the Bering Sea occupies the subsurface layer. The spatial distribution of warm PSW shows a quite similar pattern to the recent ice retreat, suggesting the influence of PSW on the sea-ice reduction. To understand the regionality of the recent ice retreat, we examine the dynamics and timing of the delivery of the PSW into this region. Here, we adopt a two-layer linearized potential vorticity equation to investigate the behavior of Rossby waves in the presence of a topographic discontinuity in the high latitude ocean. The analytical results show a quite different structure from those of mid-latitude basins due to the small value of β. Incident barotropic waves excited by the sea-ice motion with large annual variation can be scattered into both barotropic and baroclinic modes at the discontinuity. Since the scattered baroclinic Rossby wave with annual frequency cannot propagate freely, a strong baroclinic current near the topographic discontinuity is established. The seasonal variation of current near the topographic discontinuity would cause a kind of selective switching system for shelf water transport into the basin. In our simple analytical model, the enhanced northward transport of summer water and reduced northward transport of winter water are well demonstrated. The present study indicates that these basic dynamics imply that a strengthening of the surface forcing during winter in the Canada Basin could cause sea-ice reduction in the Western Arctic through the changes of underlying Pacific Summer Water.     

Study on the current structure of the thermohaline front in the southeastern entrance of the Yellow Sea during winter

A thermohaline front is located at the southeastern entrance of the Yellow Sea in winter, and it is generated by the intrusion of warm saline water into the Yellow Sea caused by a strong northerly wind. Recently, a westward transversal current traveling away from the west coast of Korea toward the open sea area along the front was reported. The westward transversal current is dominant in the surface layer during the temperature inversion period. The formation and structure of this current are examined using a numerical vertical ocean-slice model. When two different water masses meet, a front is formed and adjusted geostrophically. In this frontal zone, a horizontal pressure gradient flow by the vertically inclined isopycnal occurs under the thermal wind process in a baroclinic effect, and the cold fresh coastal water moves westward along the front in the upper layer. The barotropic effect across the front and the bottom friction effect strengthen the westward component of the velocity. The velocity of the bottom layer decreases remarkably in the increase of the bottom drag coefficient. This means that the bottom friction with the strong background tidal current causes a reduction in the current in the bottom layer.     

北黄海西部海区营养盐季节变化及其影响因素探讨

根据2006-07-2007-10对北黄海4个航次调查资料,分析并讨论了北黄海西部海区营养盐四季变化及其影响因素。DIN,PO4-P和SiO3-Si的浓度从春季到冬季逐渐升高。春、夏、秋季营养盐底层浓度均远远大于表层的,冬季营养盐各层浓度相近。黄海冷水团是影响北黄海西部营养盐季节变化的主要因素,黄海暖流和鸭绿江水的输入对北黄海西部营养盐季节变化影响不显著;受北黄海跃层的影响,北黄海西部海区营养盐浓度除冬季外,垂直方向均呈现出分层现象,表层浮游植物吸收营养盐,使表层营养盐浓度低于底层的。     

Three-dimensional numerical model study of the residual current in the South China Sea

A three-dimensional baroclinic shelf sea model is employed to simulate the tidal and non-tidal residual current in the South China Sea. The four most significant constituents, M₂, S₂, K₁ and O₁, are included in the experiments with tidal effect. At most stations, the computed harmonic constants agree well with the observed ones. The circulations of the South China Sea in summer (August) and winter (December) are mainly discussed. It is shown that the barotropic tidal residual current is too weak to affect the South China Sea circulation, whilst the contribution of the baroclinic tidal residual current to the South China Sea circulation would be important in the continental shelf sea areas, especially in the Gulf of Thailand and Gulf of Tonkin. In the deep-sea areas, the upper barotropic or baroclinic tidal residual current is relatively very weak, however, the speed order of the deep baroclinic tidal residual current can be the same as that of the mean current without tidal effect. Moreover, the baroclinic tidal residual current seems to be related to the different seasonal stratification of ocean.     

近10年黄、渤海海域入海气旋的统计特征和加强原因分析

利用2008?2018年逐小时自动站资料、常规地面高空观测资料、NCEP-FNL资料,统计黄、渤海7级及以上气旋大风过程,围绕气旋加深率和气压梯度讨论气象因子与气旋强度和发展关系,根据Petterssen地面气旋发展公式讨论温度平流、涡度平流和非绝热加热在气旋中的作用。结果表明:(1) 70.5%气旋入海后加强,14.7%成为爆发性气旋,17.6%气旋入海过程强度不变,11.7%气旋入海后减弱。影响黄、渤海的温带气旋过程主要发生在秋季,春冬季次之,夏季一次也没有出现过。入海发展的气旋多位于200 hPa高空急流出口左侧或者分流辐散区,入海减弱的气旋多位于高空急流出口右侧。(2)影响黄、渤海域的气旋有3类:自西北向东南移动的蒙古气旋(17.6%);自西向东移动的黄河气旋(49%);自西南向东北移动的江(黄)淮气旋(33.4%)。江(黄)淮气旋在秋季容易发展为爆发性气旋。黄河气旋和蒙古气旋入海后最大风区域通常出现在气旋的西北象限(或偏西象限),江(黄)淮气旋最大风区域出现在气旋的东南象限。(3)温度平流是气旋入海发展最重要的物理量因子,温度平流对气旋入海发展比对气旋强度更敏感。5次爆发性气旋过程中温度平流和涡度平流均高于其他气旋过程。非绝热加热与气旋强度的相关性较强,与气旋发展相关性弱。(4)江(黄)淮气旋过程中温度平流和非绝热加热较强,黄河气旋过程中涡度平流较强,涡度平流和非绝热加热对蒙古气旋的作用较弱。     

水团相互作用与东海高密水环流的演变

本文利用水文和海流观测资料，从水团相互作用去研究东海高密水及其环流的演变。获得如下一些结果：东海高密水冬季形成于东海中部陆架混合水中，入春以后水团挤压，高密水显得更为突出，入秋后高密水变性，东海中部陆架混合水重新形成；东海高密水核心区可形成气旋环流，从冬到秋经历了一个弱—强—弱的演变过程。海流观测结果证实这个环流是存在的；在东海高密水南侧存在较明显的密度锋，从冬到秋它也经历了一个弱—强—弱的演变过程；水团分析发现，各种与主体分离的混合水从春到夏可在高密水核心周围组合成一个环，从而进一步印证了这个高密水环流的存在     

Review on current and seawater volume transport through the Taiwan Strait

Patterns and features of currents and seawater volume transports in the Taiwan Strait have been reviewed by examining the results from more than 150 research papers in recent decades. It is noted that there are diverse or even conflicting viewpoints on these subjects. Here both common and different opinions are summarized. This review paper covers the studies involving in situ measurements and numerical modeling of current velocity, analyses of hydrographic data, and classification of water masses. Generally speaking, there are three currents in the Taiwan Strait: the China Coastal Current along the Fujian coast in the western Taiwan Strait, the extension of the South China Sea Warm Current in the western and central Taiwan Strait, and the Kuroshio’s branch or loop current intruding through the eastern Taiwan Strait. The current pattern in winter is quite different from that in summer, and the currents also exhibit differences between the upper and lower layers. The seawater volume transport through the Taiwan Strait is about 2.3 Sv northward in summer but about 0.8 Sv northward in winter. Both the current pattern and the seawater transport vary with local winds in the Taiwan Strait. This is particularly true in winter when the currents and the transport in the upper layer are significantly affected by strong northeasterly winds.     

An estimate of water mass transformation in the southern Weddell Sea

Bottom water formation changes the characteristics of water masses entering the southern part of the Weddell Sea through atmosphere-ice-ocean interaction in which both sea and shelf ice play an important role. Modified water, in particular Weddell Sea Bottom Water, recirculates in the west. By comparing the in- and outflowing water masses we have estimated transformation rates on the basis of a data set obtained during the Winter Weddell Gyre Study from September to October 1989. This consisted of a salinity-temperature-depth (CTD) section carried out by R/V “Polarstern” from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula to Kapp Norvegia and data from three current meter moorings maintained from 1989 to 1990 in the eastern boundary current off Kapp Norvegia. Because of the lack of sufficient direct current measurements in the interior and the western boundary current, it was necessary to derive mass transports on the basis of available data combined with physical and geometrical arguments. At the mooring site barotropic currents were measured. They were extrapolated to the interior under the assumption that wind-driven, baroclinic and barotropic current fields are of similar shape. The location of the gyre centre was determined from drifting buoy tracks and geopoten-tial anomaly. A linear current profile from the eastern boundary current to the centre of the gyre was assumed, and the western outflow was determined according to mass conservation. Different assumptions on the transition from the boundary current to the interior and the location of the centre result in a wide range of transports with most likely values between 20 and 56 Sv. The total mass transport was split into individual water masses. Differences between inflow and outflow result in a transformation rate of 3–4 Sv from Winter and Warm Deep Water to Antarctic and Weddell Sea Bottom Water. The net heat and salt transport across the transect implies heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere of 3–10 W m⁻² and ice formation rates of 0.2–0.35 m year⁻¹.     

Monthly Variations of Water Masses in the Yellow and East China Seas, November 6, 1998

The monthly water mass variations in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are investigated using over 40 years of historical temperature and salinity observations via a cluster analysis that incorporates geographical distance and depth separation in addition to the temperature and salinity. Results delineate monthly variations in the major water masses and provide some insight into formation mechanisms and intermixing. The major water masses include the Kuroshio-East China Sea water (KE), the Yellow Sea surface water (YSS) and bottom cold water (YSB), mixed water (MW), and coastal water (CW). The distribution of the KE water mass reveals the intrusion pattern into the area west of Cheju. A separate mixed water type appears between the KE water mass and the Yellow Sea water masses during winter. The formation mechanism of the YSB appears to be the surface cooling and active mixing in winter. In the East China Sea, during summer, surface water is differentiated from the subsurface water while there is no differentiation during winter. In the Yellow Sea, a three layer system exists in the summer and fall (May–November) while a two layer system exists during the rest of the year. A fresh water mass generated by Yangtze River discharge (YD) is present over the northern East China Sea and the southern Yellow Sea during summer. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Surface layer temperature inversion in the Arabian Sea during winter

Surface layer temperature inversion in the south eastern Arabian Sea, during winter has been studied using Bathythermograph data collected from 1132 stations. It is found that the inversion in this area is a stable seasonal feature and the occurrence is limited to the coastal waters. The inversion layer is found to have thickness varying from 10 to 80 meters and gradient of 0.0–1.2°C. The causative factor for the inversion is identified to be the winter-time surface-advection of cold less saline Bay of Bengal water over the warm saline Arabian Sea water along the west coast of India. Finally, the possible forcing mechanism for such an advection was examined using a hydrographic section and wind observations along the west coast of India.     

Surface circulation in the southwestern Japan/East Sea as observed from drifters and sea surface height

The mean circulation of the surface layer of the southwestern Japan/East Sea (JES) was examined using current measurements collected at 15 m by satellite-tracked drifters and merged sea level anomalies from satellite altimeters. The study of circulation patterns in this paper focused on the inflow passing through the western channel of the Korea Strait from the East China Sea. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of non-seasonal sea level anomalies revealed that significant energy in the circulation pattern of Ulleung Basin was controlled by the inflow conditions through the Korea Strait. Three circulation patterns were identified that depended on the initial relative vorticity of the inflow. When inflow had initially large negative vorticity, the flow gained more negative vorticity due to deepening of the bottom (stretching) and then turned right after entering the JES. The inflow then followed the path of the Tsushima Warm Current along the coast of Japan. When the inflow was strong, with a speed in excess of 55 cm/s and with a large positive vorticity, potential vorticity appeared to be conserved. In this case, the EKWC followed isobaths along the coast and then left the coast, following topographic features north of Ulleung-Do. The northward flowing jet developed inertial meandering after leaving the coast, which is a characteristic of many western boundary currents. The regular, bimonthly deployments of drifters in the western portion of the Korea Strait revealed that splitting or branching of the flow through the western channel of the Korea Strait occurred only 15% of the time. And splitting or branching rarely occurred during the fall and winter seasons, when the inflow splitting was previously reported in hydrographic surveys. The time-averaged circulation map of the EKWC and its seaward extension were considerably enhanced by using regularly sampled geostrophic velocities calculated from sea level anomalies to remove biases in the mean velocity that were caused by irregular spatial and temporal drifter observations. The East Korean Warm Current, a mean coastal current along the Korean coast, behaved like the simple model by Arruda et al. (2004) in which the generation of the Ulleung Warm Eddy and the meandering circulation pattern were well reproduced.