Circulation of the East China Sea,a numerical study

A three-dimensional, primitive-equation model is developed to study how the Kuroshio, the monsoon, the Yangtze River outflow and the buoyancy forcing from the South China Sea affect the circulation of the East China Sea. It is found that the Kuroshio water usually intrudes into the East China Sea from both sides of Taiwan Island. Winter winds enhance the Kuroshio intrusion from northeast of Taiwan, but weaken it from the Taiwan Strait. Summer winds act in the opposite way. The increased presence of the Kuroshio water in the East China Sea in winter can be largely attributed to the shoreward surface Ekman drift associated with the northerly wind. In summer, the-shaped plume emanating from the Taiwan Strait is, to a large extent, produced by the buoyancy forcing from the South China Sea.In summer, the bimodal distribution of the Yangtze River outflow is initially produced by the upwelling-favorable wind. Away from the Yangtze River, the far-field dispersal of the fresher water depends on the strength of the Kuroshio. A stronger Kuroshio enhances the seaward dispersal of the northern branch of the Yangtze outflow north of Taiwan, but reduces the southward penetration of the southern branch. In winter, downwelling-favorable winds confine the Yangtze River outflow to a narrow band forming nearshore coastal jet penetrating southward. The northern tip of Taiwan acts as a conduit, channeling the seaward dispersal of the fresher water. The model results interpret the observed circulation patterns.     

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.     

环台湾岛海域冬季水文要素的数值模拟

本文利用POM模式对环台湾岛海域冬季的水文要素进行了数值模拟,对有代表性的水平环流、温度场和上升流三个要素所进行的分析表明:模式再现了台湾岛东岸的高温高盐强流速区即黑潮,黑潮在冬季并无直接进入台湾海峡的分支存在;西岸的东北向流在冬季各个层次上都存在,台湾东北部的冷涡模拟与实况较为一致。温度场和上升流的分布与水平环流有很好的对应关系。本文还进一步验证了前人的一些研究成果,并对一些特殊物理现象的成因进行了定性解释。     

Movement of the Kuroshio axis to the northeast shelf of Taiwan during typhoon events

We investigated the movement of the Kuroshio axis on the northeast shelf of Taiwan associated with the passage of typhoons, using sea surface current data observed by the ocean radar system on Yonaguni and Ishigaki islands. First, we examined daily Kuroshio axis variation on the northeast shelf of Taiwan during typhoon events. The ocean radar data showed that the Kuroshio axis moved onto the shelf after passages of typhoons. The Kuroshio moved onto the shelf and stayed there after the passage of Typhoon Hai-Tang; while the Kuroshio maintained this pattern, southerly wind blew continuously for 4 days. The mean current speed northeast of Taiwan after the typhoon's passage increased by 18 cm s⁻¹. In addition, the sea level difference between two satellite altimetry tracks east of Taiwan increased by 14.4 cm. These results suggest that coastal upwelling east of Taiwan caused by the southerly wind generated an east–west sea level difference that, in turn, generated a northward geostrophic current. This current could have enhanced the Kuroshio east of Taiwan, and pushed it onto the shelf.     

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。     

利用漂流浮标资料对黑潮及其邻近海域表层流场及其季节分布特征的分析研究

利用1987年以来WOCE项目及我国自行投放或进入黑潮及其邻近海域(15°~36°N,114°~135°E)的共计323个卫星跟踪海表面漂流浮标资料,得到全年平均及季节平均的浮标轨迹及(1/4)°×(1/4)°格点平均的表层流矢量结果。分析认为:对于全年平均的表层流场,黑潮表层流路主要表现了对大洋西边界地形的适应,并呈现出6个较大的弯曲,其中在反气旋型弯曲处都发生分支或入侵现象、气旋型弯曲处这种现象却不明显。对于季节平均的表层流场,黑潮表层不同流段分别表现出各自显著的季节差异:吕宋海峡附近海域,表层水向南海的入侵只发生在秋、冬两季,而春、夏两季却不发生;在台湾以东海域,黑潮表层流路与黑潮右侧反气旋涡的存在与否密切相关,春季没有涡旋存在时,黑潮表层流路常出现气旋式大弯曲,其他三个季节反气旋涡存在时,黑潮表层流路相对平直;在台湾东北海域,黑潮表层水向东海南部陆架区的入侵以秋、冬季最强,春季次之,而夏季几乎不发生;在赤尾屿以北的东海黑潮中段,黑潮流动比较稳定,其表层平均流径走向由偏北到偏东依次约为冬(北偏东30°)、春(北偏东33°)、秋(北偏东38°)、夏(北偏东45°);流路宽度由宽至窄依次约为秋(90 km)、春(80 km)、冬(70 km)、夏(60 km),而流速由大至小依次为夏、春、秋、冬,且各季节都表现出北段流速大于南段的现象;在九州西南海域,春、秋两季黑潮表层水发生明显的向北入侵,入侵的黑潮水与东海外陆架水共同成为对马暖流的一部分来源,而夏季这种现象不明显,九州西南海域黑潮表层流路北界的位置以秋季最为偏北(但最北不超过31°N)、流路也最宽;在琉球群岛外缘海域,南半部基本没有北上的表层流存在,只有在冲绳群岛-奄美群岛以东海区,秋、夏、春三季表层反气旋涡旋都比较活跃,在涡旋的西侧有顺着冲绳群岛-奄美群岛的东北向流,其中秋季最为明显。这些结果可以为黑潮及其邻近海域的深入研究提供较为客观、直接的参考。     

Sea water temperature variation east of Taiwan

Temperature, wave and wind data over two years off Ho Peng, Shi Ti and Jang Yuan of east Taiwan are analyzed to study their seasonal variations. A model for predicting the mixed layer thickness is developed by use of wave data. The vertical profile of temperature indicates that there are basically three layers; mixed layer, thermocline layer and deep cold layer. The surface mixed layer appears in winter and disappears in summer. While surface water is warmer in summer than in winter, water at a depth of 50 m is warmer in winter than in summer. The seasonal variation in the deep cold layer is weak. The sea surface temperature is generally higher offshore than nearshore. The surface temperature off east Taiwan is almost equal to that in Taiwan Strait in summer, but in winter it is about 4°C warmer off northeast Taiwan than in the northeast of the Taiwan Strait, if compared at the same latitude. This is an effect of the seasonal variation of the Kuroshio. A model is developed for predicting the mixed layer thickness in terms of the input wave energy. The model successfully accounts for the observed features.     

Surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions derived from satellite-tracked drifter data

The muhiyear averaged surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions are studied. The data used are trajectories and （1/4） ° latitude by （1/4） ° longitude mean currents derived from 323 Argos drifters deployed by Chinese institutions and world ocean circulation experiment from 1979 to 2003. The results show that the Kuroshio surface path adapts well to the western boundary topography and exhibits six great turnings. The branching occurs frequently near anticyclonic turnings rather than near cyclonic ones. In the Luzon Strait, the surface water intrusion into the South China Sea occurs only in fall and winter. The Kuroshio surface path east of Taiwan, China appears nearly as straight lines in summer, fall, and winter, when anticyclonic eddies coexist on its right side; while the path may cyclonically turning in spring when no eddy exists. The Kuroshio intrusion northeast of Taiwan often occurs in fall and winter, but not in summer. The running direction, width and velocity of the middle segment of the Kuroshio surface currents in the East China Sea vary seasonally. The northward intrusion of the Kuroshio surface water southwest of Kyushu occurs in spring and fall, but not in summer. The northmost position of the Kuroshio surface path southwest of Kyushu occurs in fall, but never goes beyond 31 °N. The northward surface current east of the Ryukyu Islands exists only along Okinawa-Amami Islands from spring to fall. In particular, it appears as an arm of an anti- cyclonic eddy in fall.     

Currents in the Taiwan Strait as observed by surface drifters

The trajectories of 110 satellite-tracked surface drifters from 1989 to 2007 were analyzed to elucidate near-surface circulation in the Taiwan Strait. Although the summer circulation observed generally agrees with previous studies, several aspects of the winter circulation were revealed by the analyses. Unlike many earlier studies, which have suggested that a northward (southward) current prevails in the eastern (western) part of the Taiwan Strait during the northeast monsoon season, this study shows that almost all winter drifters that entered the Taiwan Strait eventually moved southward. Inside the Taiwan Strait, northward moving tracks can only be found in the Penghu Channel. After passing the Penghu Channel, the drifters were blocked by the northeast monsoon wind and the Yun-Chang Rise, and turned southward. None of the drifters flowed persistently northward through the Taiwan Strait in winter. In the southern Taiwan Strait, three typical patterns of circulation were observed for the winter trajectories—the “throughflow” pattern that enters the South China Sea flowing westward along the slope; the loop current pattern that circulates anticyclonically and returns to the Kuroshio; and the blocked intrusion pattern that penetrates into the Taiwan Strait through the Penghu Channel.     

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.     

Analysis of the high and low temperature centers and their relation with circulations in the East China Sea

Three warm currents, the Kuroshio, its shelf intrusion branch in the northeast of Taiwan and the Taiwan Warm Current (hereafter TWC), dominate the circulation pattern in the East China Sea (hereafter ECS). Their origination, routes and variation in winter and summer are studied. Their relationship with four major high and low temperature centers is analyzed. Differing from the previous opinion, we suggest that the four major centers are generated to a great extent by the interaction of the currents in the ECS. In summer, a cold water belt in the northeast of Taiwan is preserved from winter between the Kuroshio and the TWC. The shelf intrusion branch of the Kuroshio separates the water belt, and two low temperature centers generate in the northeast of Taiwan. In the southern ECS, the TWC transports more heat flux northward to form a warm pool. But it is separated in the lower layer by the cold water driven by the intrusion branch of the Kuroshio. So the TWC and the intrusion branch of the Kuroshio play a dominating role to generate the high temperature center. The interaction among the eastward TWC, the northward Tsushima Warm Current (hereafter TSWC) and the southward Su Bei Coastal Flow (hereafter SBCF) generates the low temperature center in the northern ECS. In winter, the strengthening of the shelf intrusion branch of the Kuroshio obscures the two low temperature centers in the northeast of Taiwan. For the weakening of the TWC, the high temperature center in the southern ECS vanishes, and the low temperature center in the northern ECS shifts to south.     

Intrusion of Kuroshio water onto the continental shelf of the East China Sea

As a fundamental study to evaluate the contribution of the Kuroshio to primary production in the East China Sea (ECS), we investigated the seasonal pattern of the intrusion from the Kuroshio onto the continental shelf of the ECS and the behavior of the intruded Kuroshio water, using the RIAM Ocean Model (RIAMOM). The total intruded volume transport across the 200m isobath line was evaluated as 2.74 Sv in winter and 2.47 Sv in summer, while the intruded transport below 80m was estimated to be 1.32 Sv in winter and 1.64 Sv in summer. Passive tracer experiments revealed that the main intrusion from the Kuroshio to the shelf area of the ECS, shallower than 80m, takes place through the lower layer northeast of Taiwan in summer, with a volume transport of 0.19 Sv. Comparative studies show several components affecting the intrusion of the Kuroshio across the 200 m isobath line. The Kuroshio water intruded less onto the shelf compared with a case without consideration of tide-induced bottom friction, especially northeast of Taiwan. The variations of the transport from the Taiwan Strait and the east of Taiwan have considerable effects on the intrusion of the Kuroshio onto the shelf.     

Hydrological analysis of Kuroshio water intrusion into the South China Sea

IN~crIONInvestigation of physical oceanography in the sleuth China Sea can be traced back tO the early17th century. America, England, Japan and Russia all carried out investigations in the sea. Butthe survey areas were limited and the data were scrappy. After entering this century big progresshas been achieved in the investigation of the sea both in the scale of survey and the depth ofstudy. So far the papers such as "Wind and drift currents in the mouth China Sea" (Dale, 1956)and "Phys…     

南海深水区季平均海流的诊断计算

根据南海温、盐度历史观测数据的季平均值和季平均风应力场,采用三维非线性海流诊断模式,对南海大陆架外深水海区四季平均流场进行了数值模拟计算。所得的南海四季环流总趋势以及一些中小尺度的涡旋现象,同已有的一些研究结果基本相符。此外,还较好地反映了南海海流的季节变化特征和流场在不同深度的分布特点。     

磨刀门口夏冬季沿岸流特征及成因分析

根据2011—2012年磨刀门口的夏、冬季大、中、小潮定点观测资料,对欧拉余流、斯托克斯余流以及拉格朗日余流进行分析。结果表明:（1）外海测点的欧拉余流和拉格朗日余流,冬季在各潮型下均为一致的西南沿岸方向,夏季除东、西汊道点在强径流下表现为顺汊道指向外海方向,其余外海各点仍以西南沿岸方向为主;（2）斯托克斯余流远小于欧拉余流,夏季明显大于冬季,方向基本与欧拉余流相反;（3）冬季磨刀门口海域具有稳定西南向沿岸流特征,南海东北季风的驱动作用是其形成的主要原因;夏季磨刀门口各潮型下沿岸流特征各异,其影响的主要因素为径流和风,同时地形的影响不可忽略,特别是拦门沙形成的汊道分流作用,对强径流作用下水沙输移影响十分显著。     

黑潮水入侵南海的水文分析──Ⅱ.1994年8—9月期间的观测结果

利用1994年8－9月期间，由台湾海峡两岸的4艘海洋调查船在南海东北部海域所获之CTD和ADCP资料，并结合1992年3月间在同一海域获取的CTD资料及部分历史水文资料，对该区域的海水特性以及黑潮水入侵南海等问题进行了分析探讨。结果表明：调查期间，本海区水团分布与冬末、春初（1992年3月）航次基本相似，即南海和西北太平洋海域的海水结构有着各自相对独立的温、盐度特性。虽发现有黑潮水穿越巴上海峡进入南海，但其势力甚弱。因此，在夏末秋初，黑潮亦无直接的分支深入南海，即使在巴士海峡北端进入台湾海峡的黑潮水，其影响也是十分微弱的。由等密度面、地转流分析和实测ADCP资料显示，在调查海区的东南海域存在一支较强的N向流动。它沿菲律宾西海岸北上，绕过吕宋岛西北角流向东北，在巴上海峡呈现与黑潮水混合的迹象，其水体在冬季明显呈高温、低盐的特性；夏季则为相对低温、低盐。故在冬季的几幅卫星图像上也有较好的体现，很有可能长年存在。     

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。     

Numerical Study of the Upper-Layer Circulation in the South China Sea

Upper-layer circulation in the South China Sea has been investigated using a three-dimensional primitive equation eddy-resolving model. The model domain covers the region from 99° to 122°E and from 3° to 23°N. The model is forced by the monthly averaged European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model winds and the climatological monthly sea surface temperature data from National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). Inflow and outflow through the Taiwan Strait and the Sunda shelf are prescribed monthly from the Wyrtki estimates. Inflow of the Kuroshio branch current in the Luzon Strait is assumed to have a constant volume transport of 12 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³/s), and the outflow from the open boundary to the east of Taiwan is adjusted to ensure the net volume transport through all open boundaries is zero at any instant. The model reveals that a cyclonic circulation exists all year round in the northern South China Sea. During the winter time this cyclonic eddy is located off the northwest of Luzon, coinciding with the region of positive wind stress curl in this season. This cyclonic eddy moves northward in spring due to the weakening of the northeast winds. The cyclonic circulation becomes weak and stays in the continental slope region in the northern South China Sea in the summer period. The southwest wind can raise the water level along the west coast of Luzon, but there is no anticyclonic circulation in the northern South China Sea. After the onset of the northeast monsoon winds in fall, the cyclonic eddy moves back to the region off the west coast of Luzon. In the southern South China Sea and off the Vietnam coast, the model predicts a similar flow structure as in the previous related studies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

东海西部陆架海域水团的季节特征分析

On the basis of the CTD data and the modeling results in the winter and summer of 2009, the seasonal characteristics of the water masses in the western East China Sea shelf area were analyzed using a cluster analysis method. The results show that the distributions and temperature-salinity characteristics of the water masses in the study area are of distinct seasonal difference. In the western East China Sea shelf area, there are three water masses during winter, i.e., continental coastal water（CCW）, Taiwan Warm Current surface water（TWCSW） and Yellow Sea mixing water（YSMW）, but four ones during summer, i.e., the CCW, the TWCSW, Taiwan Warm Current deep water（TWCDW） and the YSMW. Of all, the CCW, the TWCSW and the TWCDW are all dominant water masses. The CCW, primarily characterized by a low salinity, has lower temperature, higher salinity and smaller spatial extent in winter than in summer. The TWCSW is warmer, fresher and smaller in summer than in winter, and it originates mostly from the Kuroshio surface water（KSW） northeast of Taiwan, China and less from the Taiwan Strait water during winter, but it consists of the strait water and the KSW during summer. The TWCDW is characterized by a low temperature and a high salinity, and originates completely in the Kuroshio subsurface water northeast of Taiwan.     

春季东海不同水域的表层叶绿素含量

利用１９９４年春季在东海及台湾海峡首次获得的表层水中绿素含量大面走航连续观测资料，结合温盐分布及以往的有关东海及台湾海峡的海流和上升流的结论，分析了春季东海表层叶绿素含量在不同水域的分布特征。结果表明，叶绿素含量分布与水文结构关系密切。叶绿素含量值随不同海流流域而变，但在各海流流域内基本不变，黑潮表层水的叶绿素含量最低，其次是台湾暖流表层水，长江冲淡水与江浙沿岸流域的叶绿素含量较高；黑潮西侧弱流剧