ON generation source sites of internal in the Luzon strait

This effort aims to determine the generation source sites in the Luzon Strait for energetic, long-crest, transbasin internal waves (IW) observed in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). The roles of islands distributed on eastern side of the strait, Kuroshio, submarine ridges, shoaling thermocline, and strait configuration played in the IW generation are examined using the cruise data analysis, satellite data interpretation, and dynamical analysis. The islands and channels on eastern side of the strait are excluded from a list of possible IW source sites owing to their unmatched horizontal dimensions to the scale of IW crest line length, and the relative low Reynolds number. The Kuroshio has a potential to be a radiator for the long-crest IW disturbances, meanwhile, the Kuroshio west (east) wing absorbs the eastward (westward) propagating IW disturbance. Namely, the Kuroshio blockades the outside west-east propagating IW disturbances. The 3-D configuration of the Luzon Strait is characterized by a sudden, more than one order widening of the cross-section areas at the outlets on both sides, providing a favorable condition for IW type initial disturbance formation. In the Luzon Strait, the thermocline is featured by a westward shoaling all the year around, providing the dynamical conditions for the amplitude growth (declination) to the westward (eastward) propagating IW type disturbance. Thus,the west slope of western submarine ridge at the western outlet of the Luzon Strait is a high possibility source sites for energetic,long-crest, transbasin Iws in the NSCS. The interpretation results of satellite SAR images during a 13 a period from 1995 to 2007 provide the convincing evidence for the conclusions.     

Sub-seasonal variability of Luzon Strait Transport in a high resolution global model

The Luzon Strait is the main impact pathway of the Kuroshio on the circulation in South China Sea (SCS). Based on the analysis of the 1997–2007 altimeter data and 2005–2006 output data from a high resolution global HYCOM model, the total Luzon Strait Transport (LST) has remarkable subseasonal oscillations with a typical period of 90 to 120 days, and an average value of 1.9 Sv into SCS. Further spectrum analysis shows that the temporal variability of the LST at different depth is remarkable different. In the upper layer (0–300 m), westward inflow has significant seasonal and subseasonal variability. In the bottom layer (below 1 200 m), eastward outflow exhibits remarkable seasonal variability, while subseasonal variability is also clear. In the intermediate layer, the westward inflow is slightly bigger than the eastward outflow, and both of them have obvious seasonal and subseasonal variability. Because the seasonal variation of westward inflow and eastward outflow is opposite, the total transport of intermediate layer exhibits significant 50–150 days variation, without obvious seasonal signals. The westward Rossby waves with a period of 90 to 120 days in the Western Pacific have very clear correlationship with the Luzon Strait Transport, this indicates that the interaction between these westward Rossby waves and Kuroshio might be the possible mechanism of the subseasonal variation of the LST.     

热带气旋过境期间黑潮流轴变化的初步分析

利用卫星高度计资料分析了热带气旋"艾碧"(Abe,9315)、"贝姬"(Becky,9316)、"莫拉克"(Morakot,0309)和"茉莉"(Melor,0319)对吕宋海峡及其附近海域黑潮流轴的影响。研究表明:1)吕宋海峡附近海域黑潮流轴容易受到热带气旋的影响而发生一定的变化。2)在热带气旋的作用下,黑潮流轴因中尺度涡的变异而变化;当吕宋海峡东侧的暖涡西移时,将使黑潮的流轴向西弯曲,有利于黑潮在该处的入侵。     

1998年春夏南海温盐结构及其变化特征

利用1998年5～8月“南海季风试验”期间“科学1”号和“实验3”号科学考察船两个航次CTD资料,分析了1998年南海夏季风暴发前后南海主要断面的温盐结构及其变化特征.观测发现,南海腹地基本被典型的南海水团所控制,但在南海东北部尤其是吕宋海峡附近,表层和次表层水明显受到西太平洋水的影响.季风暴发以后,南海北部表面温度有显著升高,升幅由西向东递减,而南海中部和南部表面温度基本没变,这使得南海北部东西向温度梯度和整个海盆南北向温度梯度均减小.北部断面表层盐度普遍由34以上降低到34以下,混合层均有所发展,是季风暴发后降水和风力加剧的结果.观测期间黑潮水跨越吕宋海峡的迹象明显但变化剧烈.4～5月,黑潮次表层水除在吕宋海峡中北部出现外,在吕宋岛以西亦有发现,表明有部分黑潮水从吕宋海峡南端沿岸向西进而向南进入南海.6～7月,次表层高盐核在吕宋海峡中北部有极大发展,但在吕宋岛以西却明显萎缩;虽然看上去黑潮水以更强的流速进、出南海,但对南海腹地动力热力结构的影响未必更大.一个超过34.55的表层高盐水体于巴拉望附近被发现,似与通过巴拉望两侧水道入侵南海的西太平洋水有关.     

Optimal estimation of absolute geostrophic velocity field in vicinity of the Luzon Strait using variational data assimilation technique

A P - vector method is optimized using the variational data assimilation technique(VDAT). The absolute geostrophic velocity fields in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait (LS) are calculated, the spatial structures and seasonal variations of the absolute geostrophic velocity field are investigated. Our results show that the Kuroshio enters the South China Sea (SCS) in the south and middle of the Luzon Strait and flows out in the north, so the Kuroshio makes a slight clockwise curve in the Luzon Strait, and the curve is strong in winter and weak in summer. During the winter, a westward current appears in the surface, and locates at the west of the Luzon Strait. It is the north part of a cyclonic gyre which exits in the northeast of the SCS; an anti-cyclonic gyre occurs on the intermediate level, and it exits in the northeast of the SCS, and an eastward current exits in the southeast of the anti-cyclonic gyre.     

A 2D-numerical modeling of the generation and propagation of internal solitary waves in the Luzon Strait

The wide presence of internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the northern South China Sea (SCS) has been confirmed by both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images and in situ observations. These ISWs are believed being generated over the varying topography in the Luzon Strait. They typically propagate westwards into the SCS with a diurnal or semidiurnal period. Their generation sites are, however, not yet solidly identified. To obtain a clear picture of the ISWs, we designed numerical experiments to analyze the generation and propagation of the ISWs in the Luzon Strait using a 2-dimensional non-hydrostatic model. The model current is forced by barotropic or baroclinic currents imposed at open boundaries. The experiments show that the tidal current serves as a kind of triggering force for the ISWs over the submarine ridges in the strait. Under the forcing of tidal currents, depressions are formed near the ridges. The ISWs then split from the depressions through a process different from lee-wave generation mechanism. The appearance of the ISWs is influenced by the strength and period of the forcing current:the ISWs are more likely to be generated by a stronger tidal current. That is why the ISWs in the Luzon Strait are frequently observed during spring tide. Compared with diurnal tidal current, the ISWs generated by semidiurnal tidal current with the same amplitude is much more energetic. It is partly because that the wave beams in diurnal frequency have a larger angle with the vertical direction, thus are more likely to be reflected by the topography slope. The impact of the Kuroshio to the ISWs is also analyzed by adding a vertical uniform or shear current at boundaries. A vertically uniform current may generate ISWs directly. On the other hand, a vertically shear current, which is more realistic to represent the Kuroshio branch, seems to have little influence on the generation process and radiating direction of the ISWs in the Luzon Strait.     

A numerical study of the summertime flow around the Luzon Strait

Luzon Strait, a wide channel between Taiwan and Luzon islands, connects the northern South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. The Kuroshio, South China Sea gyre, monsoon and local topography influence circulation in the Luzon Strait area. In addition, the fact that the South China Sea is a fairly isolated basin accounts for why its water property differs markedly from the Kuroshio water east of Luzon. This work applies a numerical model to examine the influence of the difference in the vertical stratification between the South China Sea and Kuroshio waters on the loop current of Kuroshio in the Luzon Strait during summer. According to model results, the loop current’s strength in the strait reduces as the strongly stratified South China Sea water is driven northward by the southwest winds. Numerical results also indicate that Kuroshio is separated by a nearly meridional ridge east of Luzon Strait. The two velocity core structures of Kuroshio can also be observed in eastern Taiwan. Moreover, the water flowing from the South China Sea contributes primarily to the near shore core of Kuroshio.     

Wind-induced Kuroshio intrusion into the South China Sea

The Kuroshio flows north along the east coasts of the Philippines and Taiwan. Between these two land masses lies the Luzon Strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to the South China Sea. The Kuroshio usually flows north past this strait, but at times part or all of it flows west through the strait into the South China Sea forming a loop current. It has been suggested that the loop current forms when the northeast monsoon deflects the Kuroshio through the Luzon Strait. In this study, satellite-derived sea-surface temperature images are used to observe the Kuroshio in the Luzon Strait region. Together with wind data from the region, these observations indicate a loop-current development process which is largely determined by an integrated supercritical wind stress parameter. The loop current grows when a four-day average of the local wind-stress component directed to the south exceeds 0.08 Nm^–2. When this average wind-stress component drops below the critical value, the Kuroshio returns to its northward path.     

吕宋海峡两侧中尺度涡统计

利用1993-2000年间的T/P卫星高度计轨道资料的时间序列和MODAS同化产品中的卫星高度计最优插值资料对南海东北部海区中尺度涡旋进行动态追踪。按照给定的标准从2种资料中提取了涡旋信息并对其特征量进行统计分析。结果表明,南海东北部海区中尺度涡旋十分活跃,平均每年6个,其中暖涡4个,尺度一般为200~250 km,平均地转流速为44 cm/s;冷涡每年平均2个,尺度一般为150~200 km,平均地转流速为-37 cm/s。吕宋海峡两侧涡旋的比较分析表明,南海东北部海区仍属于西北太平洋副热带海区的涡旋带,冷、暖涡旋处于不断的形成—西移—消散过程中。南海东北部中尺度冷涡大多是南海内部产生的,而暖涡与吕宋海峡外侧暖涡有一定的联系又具有相对的独立性。分析认为西北太平洋的西行暖涡在到达吕宋海峡时,受到黑潮东翼东向下倾的等密度面的抑制和岛链的阻碍,涡旋停滞于吕宋海峡外侧并逐渐消弱,被阻挡于吕宋海峡东侧涡旋释放的能量,形成一支横穿吕宋海峡(同时横穿过黑潮)的高速急流,把能量传递给吕宋海峡西侧的涡旋,使其得到强化,这是吕宋海峡两侧涡旋联系的一种重要机制。     

入侵南海的黑潮流套及其脱落涡旋

将2003年、2004年和2005年秋、冬季在吕宋海峡投放的卫星跟踪漂流浮标(Argos)资料用于分析黑潮通过吕宋海峡时的流型。结果表明,秋、冬季黑潮表层流存在3种类型:北向型、西向型和流套-涡旋型,后两种入侵南海。统计分析指出吕宋海峡表层流进入流套-涡旋型路径的概率为0.23,黑潮流套的纬向尺度最大达210km,仅发生在恒春海脊西侧的台湾岛西南海域。黑潮流套仅是黑潮流分离的一部分,而非黑潮整体蛇形入侵南海,这与墨西哥湾的蛇形流不一样。在流套内西向流速大于东向流速,这可能是流套西向发展的原因之一,黑潮流套常可演变成脱落涡旋,也可能就地消亡。脱落涡旋以约10cm/s速度西移。     

Evolution and propagation of amesoscale eddy in the northern South China Sea during winter

In situ observations,satellite data,and the output from an eddy-resolving ocean circulation model were used to study the generations and propagations of an anticyclonic eddy in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) during the winter of 2009-2010.In the NSCS,the anticyclonic eddy firstly appeared to the west of the Luzon Strait,migrated generally along the continental slope and dissipated around the Xisha Archipelago. The evolution of the warm eddy contains three phases:development,maturation,and decay.The eddy mainly stayed near 119.7°E in December and then gradually moved to 118.7°E until January 15,when its intensity,as indicated by the thermocline temperature and salinity anomalies,increased significantly,reflecting the growth of the eddy.The eddy reached its peak on January 15 and persisted until February 23. During this period,the eddy propagated westward to 116.4°E.After,the warm eddy weakened significantly and dissipated finally near the Xisha Archipelago.     

The variability of internal tides in the Northern South China Sea

An array of three bottom-mounted ADCP moorings was deployed on the prevailing propagation path of strong internal tides for nearly 1 year across the continental slope in the northern South China Sea. These velocity measurements are used to study the intra-annual variability of diurnal and semidiurnal internal tidal energy in the region. A numerical model, the Luzon Strait Ocean Nowcast/Forecast System developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory that covers the northern South China Sea and the Kuroshio, is used to interpret the observed variation of internal tidal energy on the Dongsha slope. Internal tides are generated primarily at the two submarine ridges in the Luzon Strait. At the western ridge generation site, the westward energy flux of the diurnal internal tide is sensitive to the stratification and isopycnal slope associated with the Kuroshio. The horizontal shear at the Kuroshio front does not modify the propagation path of either diurnal or semidiurnal tides because the relative vorticity of the Kuroshio in Luzon Strait is not strong enough to increase the effective inertial frequency to the intrinsic frequency of the internal tides. The variation of internal tidal energy on the continental slope and Dongsha plateau can be attributed to the variation in tidal beam propagation in the northern South China Sea.     

Assessing the west ridge of Luzon Strait as an internal wave mediator

The Luzon Strait is blocked by two meridional ridges at depths, with the east ridge somewhat higher than the west ridge in the middle reaches of the Strait. Previous numerical models identified the Luzon Strait as the primary generation site of internal M₂ tides entering the northern South China Sea (Niwa and Hibiya, 2004), but the role of the west-versus-east ridge was uncertain. We used a hydrostatic model for the northern South China Sea and a nonhydrostatic, process-oriented model to evaluate how the west ridge of Luzon Strait modifies westward propagation of internal tides, internal bores and internal solitary waves. The dynamic role of the west ridge depends strongly on the characteristics of internal waves and is spatially inhomogeneous. For M₂ tides, both models identify the west ridge in the middle reaches of Luzon Strait as a dampener of incoming internal waves from the east ridge. In the northern Luzon Strait, the west ridge is quite imposing in height and becomes a secondary generation site for M₂ internal tides. If the incoming wave is an internal tide, previous models suggested that wave attenuation depends crucially on how supercritical the west ridge slope is. If the incoming wave is an internal bore or internal solitary wave, our investigation suggests a loss of sensitivity to the supercritical slope for internal tides, leaving ridge height as the dominant factor regulating the wave attenuation. Mechanisms responsible for the ridge-induced attenuation are discussed.     

The Luzon Strait transport variations during 1997～2000

Based on the output data from 1997 to 2000 obtained by the MITgcm's (general circulation model) adjoint assimilation method, volume, heat and salt transports through the Luzon Strait are calculated. The results indicate that there are obvious different characteristics between 1997 and 1998～2000 on the transports through the Luzon Strait. During 1997, theLuzon Strait had a mean net westward transport of 3.93×10⁶ m³/s with a maximum transport of 7.34×10⁶ m³/s in October. During 1998～2000, the Luzon Strait possessed an annual mean eastward transport of 0.93×10⁶, 1.80×10⁶ and 1.00×10⁶ m³/s respectively with a maximum eastward transport of 4.10×10⁶/3.31×10⁶ m³/s in July 1998/1999 and 2.06×10⁶ m³/s in April 2000, respectively. Moreover, the transports in 1997 indicated a difference from the other years, i.e.,that the ranges of westward inflows expanded more obviously to north of the Luzon Strait and downwards exceedingthose of the other years. The westward inflows expanded horizontally to the north part of the Luzon Strait until 21°N.     

源区黑潮研究进展

黑潮(Kuroshio)作为太平洋上一支强大的西边界流,起源于菲律宾以东海域,经吕宋海峡,从台湾以东进入东海,穿越吐噶喇海峽进入日本以南海域、最后汇入北太平洋环流。 本文作者所指源区是从菲律宾的吕宋岛以东至我国台湾岛以东之间,在此区域黑潮流经吕宋海峽,流态发生显著变化,是近几年来各国学者研究的重点。关于菲律宾以东黑潮的研究较少,作者重点阐述吕宋海峡处和台湾以东黑潮的研究进展。     

Sources of water in the Taiwan Strait

The conveyor of the source water that feeds into the Taiwan Strait (TS), particularly from the south, is investigated using historical CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) data and a North Pacific Ocean and East Asian seas coupled model. The modeled currents and drifter trajectories suggest that the Kuroshio Branch Water (KBW) rarely flows directly into the TS from the Luzon Strait (LS) in winter; instead the massive westward movement of the Kuroshio conveys high salinity water to the southeastern TS through a loop-like route. In summer, the modeled flow fields suggest that the Kuroshio surface currents hardly intrude into the TS directly from the LS. Observations and model results show that the monsoon-driven northeastwardflowing currents in the northern South China Sea transport relatively low salinity water through the entire TS.     

Index of Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon Strait and its preliminary application

A method of quantifying the penetration of the Kuroshio into the Luzon Strait is improved with simulated salinity. The new method is applied in an area bounded by 0.6 correlation coefficient contour to the point of 20 N, 118 E which is determined by EOF analysis. The results suggest that the method is suitable for indicating Kuroshio’s intrusion into the South China Sea quantitatively. As an indicator, the Kuroshio penetrating the Luzon index (KLI) reveals obvious annual cycle and weak bimodality. For annual periods, indexes on the surface and subsurface which point the same events have totally opposite signs due to the winter burst of surface westward current. On long-term period, the surface and subsurface indexes have consistent signs. A subsurface index on 150 m avoiding high frequency signals from the surface can be used for indicating long-term Kuroshio intrusion variation. An anti-phase pattern in wavelet coherence map between KLI and Japan large meander index shows that the Luzon Strait is a "smoother" reducing the variability of the Kuroshio transport changes on long-term periods.     

南海环流的一个约化模式

利用约化数值模式研究了黑潮在巴士海峡的流况及受其影响的南海海盆区的环流,结果为:定常的黑潮入流在巴士海峡不易出现显著的环状流动结构,但在海峡西侧诱生一气旋涡,该涡旋达到一定强度时,β因子和侧边界作用使其向西南移动,因此,模式给出的南海环流呈准半年周期的气旋涡现象。动力分析表明,气旋涡因非线性平流作用将黑潮西侧的气旋性切变涡度向南海北部输送所致。模式同时计算了入流方向和流轴位置呈周期性变化时,巴士海峡和南海的流动结构。     

The Luzon Strait transport variations during 1997~2000

1IntroductionTheSouthChinaSea(SCS)isthelargestmarginalseainSoutheastAsia.TheSCSiscon-nectedtotheopenoceanthroughseveralstraitsbetweenthesurroundinglandmassesandis-lands.TheLuzonStrait(seeFig.1)islocatedinthenortheastoftheSCSbetweenTaiwanIslandandthePhilippineIslands,whichisabout380kmwideanditslargestdepthismorethan2500m.Sincetheotherstraitsareveryshallow,theLuzonStraitistheonlymajorchannelallowingeffectivewaterexchangewiththewesternNorthPacific. Wyrtki(1961)firstlyassocia…     

Primary Study of the Mechanism of Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend in Luzon Strait

The mechanism of the anticyclonic eddy's shedding from the Kuroshio bend in Luzon Strait has been studied using a nonlinear 2 1/2 layer model, in a domain including the North Pacific and South China Sea. The model is forced by steady zonal wind in the North Pacific. Energy analysis is adopted to detect the mechanism of the eddy shedding. Twelve experiments with unique changes of wind forcing speed (to obtain different Kuroshio transports at Luzon Strait) were performed to examine the relationship between the Kuroshio transport (KT) and the eddy shedding events. In the reference experiment with KT of 22.7 Sv (forced with zonal wind idealized from the annual mean wind stress from the COADS data set), the interval of eddy shedding is 70 days and the shed eddy centers at (20°N, 117.5°E). When the Kuroshio bend extends westward, the southern cyclonic perturbation grows so rapidly as to form a cyclonic eddy (18.5°N, 120.5°E) because of the frontal instability in the south of the Kuroshio bend. In the evolution of the cyclonic eddy, it cleaves the Kuroshio bend and triggers the separation of the anticyclonic eddy. In statistical terms, anticyclonic eddy shedding occurs only when KT fluctuates within a moderate range, between 21 Sv and 28 Sv. When the KT is larger than 28 Sv, a stronger frontal instability south of the Kuroshio bend tends to generate a cyclonic eddy of size similar to the width of the Luzon Strait. The bigger cyclonic eddy prevents the Kuroshio bend from extending into the SCS and does not lead to eddy shedding. On the other hand, when the KT decreases to less than 21 Sv, the frontal instability south of the Kuroshio bend is so weak that the size of corresponding cyclonic eddy is smaller than half the width of the Luzon Strait. The cyclonic eddy, lacking power, fails to cleave the Kuroshio bend and cause separation of an anticyclonic eddy; as a result, no eddy shedding occurred then, either.