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.     

吕宋海峡西侧海域混合层盐度低频变化特征分析

利用WOD09和Argo剖面资料,结合SODA、OFES、GPCP和WHOI等资料分析了吕宋海峡西侧海域混合层盐度1984—2010年间的长期变化趋势和年代际变化特征,并利用混合层盐度平衡方程探讨了其变化机理。研究结果表明:(1)吕宋海峡西侧海域的盐度整体上呈现下降趋势,线性趋势为-0.020/a;(2)以1999年为界,吕宋海峡西侧海域的盐度在1999年之前为正距平,最大正距平值可达0.14,平均值为0.05,在1999年之后为负距平,最大负距平值为-0.22,平均值为-0.06;(3)影响该海域混合层盐度的长期变化趋势和年代际变化的主要因素为平流作用,特别是黑潮入侵的变化。     

Several characteristics of water exchange in the Luzon Strait

1IntroductionTheLuzonChannelissituatedonthewest-ernsideofthenorthernPacificandbetweenTaiwanandLuzonIslands.ItisthemainpassageofthePacificwaterenteringtheSCS.Therearenumerousdifferent-sizedislandsformingmanynarrowwaterpassagesinthischannel,sotheLuzonChannelisthegeneralnameofthesepas-sages(includingBabuyan,BalintangandBashiChannels,etc.).Customarily,theLuzonStraitiscalledtheBashiChannel.Itswidthis386kmandhasameandepthof1400m. Toagreatextent,thehydro-meteorologi-calconditionso…     

The bimodality of the Luzon Strait deep water

Combined conductivity-temperature-depth(CTD) casts and Argo profiles, 3 086 historical hydrocasts were used to quantify the water column characteristics in the northern South China Sea(SCS) and its adjacent waters. Based on a two-dimensional "gravest empirical mode"(GEM), a gravitational potential(, a vertically integrated variable) was used as proxy for the vertical temperature profiles TG(p,). integrated from 8 MPa to the surface shows a close relationship with the temperature, except in the deep layer greater than 15 MPa, which was caused by the bimodal deep water in the region. The GEM temperature profiles successfully revealed the bimodality of the Luzon Strait deep water, that disparate hydrophic vertical profiles can produce distinct specific volume anomaly() in the SCS and the western Philippine Sea(WPS), but failed in the Luzon Strait, where different temperature profiles may produce a same. A significant temperature divergence between the SCS water and the WPS water confirmed that the bimodal structure is strong. The deepwater bifurcation starts at about 15 MPa, and gets stronger with increasing depth. As the only deep channel connecting the bimodal-structure waters, water column characteristics in the Luzon Strait is in between, but much closer to the SCS water because of its better connectivity with the SCS. A bimodal temperature structure below 15 MPa reveals that there was a persistent baroclinic pressure gradient driving flow through the Luzon Strait. A volume flux predicted through the Bashi Channel with the hydraulic theory yields a value of 5.62×106 m3/s using all available profiles upstream and downstream of the overflow region, and 4.03×106and 2.70×106 m3/s by exclusively using the profiles collected during spring and summer, respectively. No volume flux was calculated during autumn and winter because profiles are only available for the upstream of the Bashi Channel during the corresponding period.     

理想台风驱动的涡旋对吕宋海峡黑潮影响的数值研究*

吕宋海峡以东即北太平洋热带地区常年存在着大量的涡旋,这些涡旋在向西运动的过程中遇到吕宋海峡黑潮后是否会穿越黑潮进入南海值得研究。文章用数值模式来模拟吕宋海峡的黑潮以及吕宋海峡以东的众多涡旋,结果表明没有一个涡旋可以穿越吕宋海峡进入南海。在此基础上引入了一个理想台风风场,通过风应力旋度的形式驱动出强劲的气旋式和反气旋式涡旋,这两个涡旋分别添加在源区黑潮附近,也是在源区黑潮流量最小的8月。以往研究表明,黑潮流量小而涡旋强劲的时候涡旋容易穿越吕宋海峡进入南海,但由何种原因产生的涡旋可以穿越吕宋海峡难以确定;而文章的数值计算结果表明,即使在黑潮较弱的夏季8月,由风应力旋度产生的中尺度涡,无论是气旋式还是反气旋式,都受到了吕宋海峡的阻挡而难以穿越。     

Observation of Luzon Strait transport in summer 2007

A field experiment was conducted across the Luzon Strait in July 2007, and a total of 51 profiles covering variables of horizontal velocity, temperature, salinity, and pressure were collected at 11 stations. Using this observation, the volume transport through the Luzon Strait, its differences between July 2007 and October 2005, and the distribution of subtidal flow and geostrophic flow have been investigated. The net transport has a two-layer vertical structure, which is eastward both in the upper layer (<26 kg m^?3 σ₀), and in the intermediate layer (26–27.3 kg m^?3 σ₀), while it is westward in the deeper layer (>27.3 kg m^?3 σ₀), with respective values of 3.0, 4.0, and ?1.5 Sv. The net transport is eastward, and estimated to be 5.5 Sv. The distribution of the subtidal flow in the intermediate layer shows that a westward flow exists in the northern part, countered by an eastward flow existing in the southern part of the strait. This distribution is in direct contrast to the previous results obtained in October 2005, in which a westward flow occurs in the south countered by an eastward flow in the north in the intermediate layer. This suggests that the flow pattern varies greatly from October 2005 to July 2007 not only in the upper layer but also in the intermediate layer. The deep layer, on the other hand, shows few changes between the two observation periods.     

Numerical study of baroclinic tides in Luzon Strait

The spatial and temporal variations of baroclinic tides in the Luzon Strait (LS) are investigated using a three-dimensional tide model driven by four principal constituents, O₁, K₁, M₂ and S₂, individually or together with seasonal mean summer or winter stratifications as the initial field. Barotropic tides propagate predominantly westward from the Pacific Ocean, impinge on two prominent north-south running submarine ridges in LS, and generate strong baroclinic tides propagating into both the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean. Strong baroclinic tides, ∼19 GW for diurnal tides and ∼11 GW for semidiurnal tides, are excited on both the east ridge (70%) and the west ridge (30%). The barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion rate reaches 30% for diurnal tides and ∼20% for semidiurnal tides. Diurnal (O₁ and K₁) and semidiurnal (M₂) baroclinic tides have a comparable depth-integrated energy flux 10–20 kW m⁻¹ emanating from the LS into the SCS and the Pacific basin. The spring-neap averaged, meridionally integrated baroclinic tidal energy flux is ∼7 GW into the SCS and ∼6 GW into the Pacific Ocean, representing one of the strongest baroclinic tidal energy flux regimes in the World Ocean. About 18 GW of baroclinic tidal energy, ∼50% of that generated in the LS, is lost locally, which is more than five times that estimated in the vicinity of the Hawaiian ridge. The strong westward-propagating semidiurnal baroclinic tidal energy flux is likely the energy source for the large-amplitude nonlinear internal waves found in the SCS. The baroclinic tidal energy generation, energy fluxes, and energy dissipation rates in the spring tide are about five times those in the neap tide; while there is no significant seasonal variation of energetics, but the propagation speed of baroclinic tide is about 10% faster in summer than in winter. Within the LS, the average turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate is O(10⁻⁷) W kg^{− 1} and the turbulence diffusivity is O(10⁻³) m²s⁻¹, a factor of 100 greater than those in the typical open ocean. This strong turbulence mixing induced by the baroclinic tidal energy dissipation exists in the main path of the Kuroshio and is important in mixing the Pacific Ocean, Kuroshio, and the SCS waters.     

中尺度涡旋影响吕宋海峡黑潮变异的动力机制

使用1.5层约化重力准地转模式,研究了西边界流在西边界缺口处当处于迟滞过程的临界状态时,其路径转变受中尺度涡旋影响的动力机制,初步探讨了中尺度涡旋影响西边界流在缺口处路径变化的几种形式.结果表明,气旋和反气旋中尺度涡旋都可能使西边界流产生由入侵流态到跨隙流态的转变,而只有反气旋式中尺度涡才有可能诱发西边界流由跨隙流态向入侵流态的转变.当西边界流远离其临界状态时,其路径不容易受中尺度涡旋的影响,此时跨隙的西边界流会阻挡中尺度涡旋在缺口处的向西传播,并迫使涡旋在吕宋海峡东侧向北移动.以上结果用来解释了吕宋海峡黑潮变异的某些结构特征.     

黑潮流轴在吕宋海峡的变化分析

黑潮在流经吕宋海峡时呈现各种时间尺度的流态变化。本文基于高分辨率的区域海洋环流模式(ROMS)输出数据,分析了黑潮主流轴在吕宋海峡附近的变化特征和可能原因。研究结果表明,黑潮流轴在该区域具有明显的年际、季节和季节内变化,其中季节内变化最为强烈;在年际和季节时间尺度上,黑潮流轴在表层主要受局地风驱动的艾克曼漂流的影响,而在次表层则主要由黑潮本身的惯性决定;在季节内时间尺度上,黑潮流轴的变化主要受制于涡旋与黑潮的相互作用。     

风急流对吕宋海峡黑潮路径变异的影响及其动力机制

为研究风急流对吕宋海峡处黑潮路径的影响,本文使用1.5层约化重力浅水模式,设置了与吕宋海峡跨度相接近的缺口宽度,考虑西边界流在西边界缺口处当处于迟滞过程的临界状态时,其路径受风急流影响的动力机制,并初步探讨了在实际海陆边界条件下,实际风急流对黑潮路径的影响。结果显示,理想情况下,当西边界流处在由入侵流态到跨隙流态转变的临界状态时,西风、南风以及西南风风急流可以激发西边界流由入侵流态转变为跨隙流态。当西边界流处在由跨隙流态向入侵流态转变的临界状态时,北风、东风以及东北风风急流可以激发西边界流由跨隙流态转变为入侵流态,并且在风急流消失后西边界流不能再恢复到初始流态。实际情况下,冬季风急流有利于黑潮入侵南海,夏季风急流有利于黑潮跨越吕宋海峡,这和理想情况下的模拟结果以及实际观测结果相一致,这对进一步研究南海北部的上层环流以及南海的质量、能量输送有重要意义。     

Observation of the anticyclonic eddy formation off the Black Sea coast

An anticyclonic eddy with a horizontal dimension of 20 km travelling north-westwards at a speed of 10 cm/s has been found during an experiment carried out off the Black Sea coast. Dynamic instability owing to horizontal velocity shear could be the reason for its origin. The eddy's passage favours the development of shear instability and the generation of short-period internal waves.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

吕宋海峡纬向海流及质量输送

分析和计算了吕宋海峡PR21断面最近海洋调查的部分CTD资料和ADCP资料,再一次证明吕宋海峡常年存在纬向流。但对于天气尺度而言,该流型是多变的。根据高分辨率的海洋环流数值模式4a(1992～1996年)海平面高度(SSH)的输出值,运用地转关系估计了吕宋海峡纬向流的月平均值。研究表明;通过海峡流入、流出南海纬向流的深度一般达到500m左右,200m以上流速较大,平均流速为50cm/s,最大时达80cm/s以上。500m以下的纬向地转流流速较小,通常小于10cm/s.由大洋进入海峡的入流位置位于海峡的中部和南部,月平均入流最大值出现在11月,为50cm/s.位于海峡的北部和南部上层海洋的月平均出流,最大流速亦出现在11月,也为50cm/s,这与秋季北赤道流分叉位置最北(15°N),春季分叉位置最南(14°N)有关。上层流入、流出海峡的流量的月平均值分别约为10×106m3/s和5×106m3/s.当东北季风盛行时(从10月到翌年2月),流入海峡的流量远大于流出海峡的流量,两者的差可达8×106m3/s,而在其他季节两者的差仅为3×106m3/s.这说明东北季风盛行时,会有较多的水从南海南？     

吕宋海峡海洋环流的基本特征

根据对高分辨率的并行海洋气候模式输出的较长时间序列的海面高度（ＳＳＨ）场的分析,推断在吕宋海峡附近海区常年存在吕宋海峡黑潮流套,该流套出现于吕宋海峡的中部和北部,表现为一个舌状的ＳＳＨ的高值中心自海峡东部的太平洋向西扩展到南海北部,大致到达１１０°Ｅ的位置,但其位置、形状、强度等表现季节变化,年际变化和季节内时间尺度变化的特征。在吕宋海峡东侧的大洋上,经常出现位置和范围时有变化的反气旋涡,与之对应,在ＳＳＨ的月平均经向和纬向剖面上,吕宋海峡东侧的大洋上有永久存在的ＳＳＨ高值中心。另外在１９９５年１～７月期间有一次完整的黑潮流环脱离黑潮主体并在南海北部向西南方向移动的过程。     

对吕宋海峡深水瀑布的重新认识

On the basis of the latest version of a U.S. Navy generalized digital environment model(GDEM-V3.0) and World Ocean Atlas(WOA13), the hydraulic theory is revisited and applied to the Luzon Strait, providing a fresh look at the deepwater overflow there. The result reveals that:(1) the persistent density difference between two sides of the Luzon Strait sustains an all year round deepwater overflow from the western Pacific to the South China Sea(SCS);(2) the seasonal variability of the deepwater overflow is influenced not only by changes in the density difference between two sides of the Luzon Strait, but also by changes in its upstream layer thickness;(3) the deepwater overflow in the Luzon Strait shows a weak semiannual variability;(4) the seasonal mean circulation pattern in the SCS deep basin does not synchronously respond to the seasonality of the deepwater overflow in the Luzon Strait.Moreover, the deepwater overflow reaches its seasonal maximum in December(based on GDEM-V3.0) or in fall(October–December, based on the WOA13), accompanied by the lowest temperature of the year on the Pacific side of the Luzon Strait. The seasonal variability of the deepwater overflow is consistent with the existing longest(3.5 a) continuous observation along the major deepwater passage of the Luzon Strait.     

On generation source sites of internal waves 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 thennocline, 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 Kurosbio 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.     

Eddy Shedding from the Kuroshio Bend at Luzon Strait

TOPEX/POSEDIENT-ERS satellite altimeter data along with the mean state from the Parallel Ocean Climate Model result have been used to investigate the variation of Kuroshio intrusion and eddy shedding at Luzon Strait during 1992–2001. The Kuroshio penetrates into the South China Sea and forms a bend. The Kuroshio bend varies with time, periodically shedding anticyclonic eddies. Criteria of eddy shedding are identified: 1) When the shedding event occurs, there are usually two centers of high Sea Surface Height (SSH) together with negative geostrophic vorticity in the Kuroshio Bend (KB) area. 2) Between the two centers of high SSH there usually exists positive geostrophic vorticity. These criteria have been used to determine the eddy shedding times and locations. The most frequent eddy shedding intervals are 70, 80 and 90 days. In both the winter and summer monsoon period, the most frequent locations are 119.5°E and 120°E, which means that the seasonal variation of eddy shedding location is unclear.     

Observations of near surface current at the Luzon Strait in winter

One hundred and ninety-one Argos satellite-tracked drifters deployed at the Luzon Strait in winter during 1991 to 2004 were ana- lyzed to understand the near surface current in northern South China Sea (SCS). Several major track patterns of these drifters have been found. There are: (1)shelf slope landing way (SLW) ; (2)deep basin way (DBW) ;(3) weak loop current pattern; (4) northward movement directly driven by the Kuroshio. These observations show the effects of the basin scale gyre circulation, mesoscale eddies and the Kuroshio on the drifters' ovement.     

吕宋海峡内波吸引子的三维数值模拟

Internal waves propagate along wave beams that are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. It is conjectured that the internal waves generated in the Luzon Strait may be confined between the double ridges in the strait and concentrate to a closed trajectory, the so-called internal wave attractor, due to the reflection of wave beams from the lateral boundaries, sea surface and bottom. This work carried out two experiments using a three dimensional non-hydrostatic general circulation model, MITgcm, to investigate the possibility that the ridges in the Luzon Strait allows for internal wave attractors. Baroclinic current in both of the experiments demonstrate the forming of ring-like patterns in some section around 20° and 21°N, indicating that the development of the internal wave attractors are allowed in the Luzon Strait. The different resolutions and initial conditions in the two experiments also reveal that the internal-wave-attractor phenomenon is robust in this region.     

吕宋海峡附近海域海表面高度季节内变化

利用1993～2017年海表面高度异常数据集,分析研究了西北太平洋季节内变化(20～120d)的整体分布特征,结果表明空间上季节内信号在20°N附近海域(16°～24°N)最强,时间上在6～8月达到一年中的最大值。在吕宋海峡东侧(123.875°E,20.125°N)季节内信号周期(70d)和传播速度(10.7～12.7cm/s)均大于吕宋海峡西侧(119.625°E, 20.125°N)(60 d, 6.5～7.8cm/s)。在大洋内部(123°～140°E, 18°～24°N)存在准90d的周期信号,传播速度约10.3cm/s。传播路径受黑潮的影响发生改变,由沿纬度西传转向向西北方向传播。第一斜压Rossby波理论对海表面高度季节内变化的周期和传播速度具有很好的解释性。