Vertical velocity and transport in the South China Sea

Deep water in the South China Sea is renewed by the cold and dense Luzon Strait overflow. However, from where and how the deep water upwells is poorly understood yet. Based on the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model reanalysis data, vertical velocity is derived to answer these questions. Domain-integrated vertical velocity is of two maxima, one in the shallow water and the other at depth, and separated by a layer of minimum at the bottom of the thermocline. Further analysis shows that this two-segmented vertical transport is attributed to the vertical compensation of subsurface water to the excessive outflow of shallow water and upward push of the dense Luzon Strait overflow, respectively. In the abyssal basin, the vertical transport increases upward from zero at the depth of 3 500–4 000 m and reaches a maximum of 1.5×106 m3/s at about 1 500 m. Deep water upwells mainly from the northeastern and southwestern ends of the abyssal basin and off the continental slopes. To explain the upward velocity arising from slope breaks, a possible mechanism is proposed that an onshore velocity component can be derived from the deep western boundary current above steep slopes under bottom friction.     

Buoyancy shutdown process for the development of the baroclinic jet structure of the Soya Warm Current during summer

The Soya Warm Current (SWC), which is the coastal current along the northeastern part of Hokkaido, Japan, has a notable baroclinic jet structure during summer. This study addresses the formation mechanism of the baroclinic jet by analyzing a realistic numerical model and conducting its sensitivity experiment. The key process is the interaction between the seasonal thermocline and the bottom Ekman layer on the slope off the northeastern coast of Hokkaido; the bottom Ekman transport causes subduction of the warm seasonal thermocline water below the cold lower-layer water, so the bottom mixed layer develops with a remarkable cross-isobath density gradient. Consequently, the buoyancy transport vanishes as a result of the thermal wind balance in the mixed layer. The SWC area is divided into two regions during summer: upstream, the adjustment toward the buoyancy shutdown is in progress; downstream, the buoyancy shutdown occurs. The buoyancy shutdown theory assesses the bottom-mixed-layer thickness to be 50 m, consistent with observations and our numerical results. The seasonal thermocline from June to September is strong enough to establish the dominance of the buoyancy shutdown process over the frictional spindown.     

Modelling of the upper mixed layer in the Tropical Atlantic

A method for the computation of the spatial-temporal variability of the upper mixed layer (UML) within the framework of a model for the multilayer ocean is proposed. Using a three-layer ocean (UML, thermocline, and abyssal regions) as an example, the formation of the UML topography from the state of rest and the current and temperature fields in the Tropical Atlantic are considered.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

What processes drive the ocean heat transport?

The ocean contributes to regulating the Earth’s climate through its ability to transport heat from the equator to the poles. In this study we use long simulations of an ocean model to investigate whether the heat transport is carried primarily by wind-driven gyres or whether it is dominated by deep circulations associated with abyssal mixing and high latitude convection. The heat transport is computed as a function of temperature classes. In the Pacific and Indian ocean, the bulk of the heat transport is associated with wind-driven gyres confined to the thermocline. In the Atlantic, the thermocline gyres account for only 40% of the total heat transport. The remaining 60% is associated with a circulation reaching down to cold waters below the thermocline. Using a series of sensitivity experiments, we show that this deep heat transport is primarily set by the strength and patterns of surface winds and only secondarily by diabatic processes at high latitudes in the North Atlantic. Abyssal mixing below 2000 m has hardly any impact on ocean heat transport. A major implication is that the role of the ocean in regulating Earth’s climate strongly depends on how surface winds change across different climates in both hemispheres at low and high latitudes.     

Research on the Propagation Acting of the Equatorial Planetary Waves on the Western Equatorial Pacific Warm Pool Heat

1 IntroductionIn the Equatorial Pacific, due to the difference between the atmospheric circulation and air-sea interaction, the near-surface seawater heat structure in the eastern and western Pacific presents two ℃obviously different characteristics: warm pool ( > 28 ) in the western equatorial Pacific and cold ℃tongue ( < 24 ) in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The water bodies of these two heat structures would give rise to change in spatial distribution under the action of the equato…     

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.     

大亚湾温跃层形成及其对有关环境要素的影响

温跃层是海洋环境中的一种重要物理现象,对海洋的环境生态系统有着重要的影响。大亚湾温跃层是受粤东上升流和夏季表层海水升温双重作用而形成的。通过对大亚湾海域水温、盐度、溶解氧等众多环境要素的长期调查取样分析显示,该海域温跃层是季节性温跃层,一般发生在每年的5—10月份,6月下旬到9月中旬分层现象比较显著,盐跃层和氧跃层会相伴发生。受核电站热排水的影响,湾西侧尤其是核电站前海域的温跃层较其它区域明显和持久。数据显示在温跃层发生期内,由于海水的分层效应,温度、盐度、pH值、DO、BOD5和COD、营养盐及叶绿素等都受到不同程度的影响,形成明显的表底层差异或层次梯度。     

Upwelling into the thermocline of the Pacific Ocean

The established “island rule” and the recently introduced “separation formula” are combined to yield an analytical expression for the total upwelling into the thermocline in the Pacific. The combination of the two is achieved with the use of a hybrid model containing a stratified upper layer, a thick (slowly moving) homogenous intermediate layer and an inert lower layer. Both the upper and the intermediate layers are subject to diabatic cooling and heating (which need not be specified) and there is an exchange of mass between the two active layers. An attempt is made to examine the above analytical (hybrid) model numerically. Ideally, this should be done with a complete two-and-a-half layer model (with upwelling and downwelling), but such a model is much too complex for process-oriented studies (due to the required parameterization of vertical mixing). Consequently, we focus our attention on verifying that the separation formula and the island rule are consistent with each other in a much simpler, layer-and-a-half model (without upwelling). We first verified that the new “separation formula” provides a reasonable estimate of the wind-induced transport in an island-free basin. We then compare the wind-induced transport predicted by the separation formula and the island rule in an idealized basin containing an island. We show that in these idealized situations the two methods give results that are consistent with each other and the numerics. We then turned to an application of the (hybrid) two-and-a-half layer model to the Pacific where, in contrast to the idealized layer-and-a-half models (where the two methods address the same water mass), the two methods address two different water masses. While the separation formula addresses only thermocline water (σ_θ<26.20), the island rule addresses all the water down to 27.5σ_θ (i.e., both the upper and intermediate layer). This is why the application of the two methods to the Pacific gives two different results — an application of the formula gives zero warm water transport whereas an application of the island rule gives 16 Sv. Namely, the difference between the amount predicted by the island rule (16 Sv) and the amount predicted by the separation formula (zero) enters the Pacific as intermediate water and is then somehow upwelled into the thermocline. The upwelling should take place north of the southern western boundary currents separation (40°S).     

Antarctic bottom water in the Scotia Sea and the Drake Passage

The quantitative features and circulation of the Antarctic bottom water (AABW) in the Scotia Sea are investigated using an original procedure for the determination of the boundaries between the water masses. It is shown that the AABW is effectively transferred across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) from the regions on the south flank of this current where the AABW penetrates into the Scotia Sea. This transfer results in the abyssal water cooling and freshening in the Yaghan Basin of the north Scotia Sea. Some rises and depressions in the bottom relief of the western and northern Scotia Sea are important features that impact the AABW transfer. It is shown that there is an additional path of the AABW transit transport to the North Atlantic passing through the western Scotia Sea. The existence of the semienclosed cyclonic abyssal water circulation in the South Shetland Trench and the westward transport of the Atlantic AABW along the Antarctic slope foot into the Pacific are proved.     

A three-layer model for the thermal structure in the Huanghai Sea

A one-dimentional three-layer model for the thermal structure in the Huanghai Sea is presented in this study, me model consists of the upper mixed layer caused by heating and wind mixing, the lower mixed layer driven by tidal mixing, and the thermocline with certain thickness. The entrainment velocities of the upper and lower layers are obtained respectively. The results show that the model is capable of describing the development and decline processes of the seasonal thermocline in the Huanghai Sea, simulating successfully the Huanghai Sea Cold Water Mass, the nearshore front and surface cold water off North Jiangsu and explaining reasonably their formation mechanisms as well as the strong thermocline off Qingdao. It is suggested that the tidal mixing plays key role in the formation of the nearshore front off North Jiangsu and the strong thermocline off Qingdao. The wind mixing and the tidal mixing make the lower layer water with high nutrients go up to the upper layer. This physical process may be sig     

与南沙深水区温跃层有关的海水平均温度的分布特征

在确定温跃层三要素 (深度 (上界深度 )、厚度和强度 )及测站温度垂直最大梯度的基础上 ,分别计算了南沙深水测站 (水深大于 1 0 0 0m)在温跃层上界深度层范围内的平均温度、在温跃层下界深度以下自 3 0 0m层至 80 0m层之间的平均温度。分析表明 ,在温跃层上界深度范围内 ,海水平均温度的水平分布明显显示出低温海水自南沙的西北部向东南部缓慢推进之势 ,似是东北季风驱动的结果。温度垂直梯度越大 ,它在垂直方向上阻碍上层海水的热量往深层扩散的能力就越强。     

The anoxic water mass in Hiuchi-Nada

Distribution of the anoxic water mass in the eastern part of Hiuchi-Nada was investigated from 1981 to 1983. A cold water mass was found on the bottom of the area concerned in summer, and a second (i.e. lower) thermocline appeared just above the cold water mass. The anoxic water was observed below a second thermocline. The horizontal distribution of the cold water mass coincided with that of the anoxic water mass, and also with a region of high concentration of organic matter in the sediment. These results suggest two important effects of the second thermocline on the generation of the anoxic water mass. Firstly, it prevents supply of dissolved oxygen from the upper to bottom layer of the water column. Secondly, it accelerates settling of particulate material resulting in a large accumulation of organic matter in the bottom water and the sediment which leads to an increase in the rate of oxygen consumption. The net oxygen consumption rate in the bottom layer in this sea was much smaller than that in Mikawa Bay where anoxia occurs at almost the same level as in Hiuchi-Nada. This finding also suggests the important role of the second thermocline.     

Anomalous eastward displacement of the tropical western Pacific warm pool and warming of the tropical eastern Pacific

INTRODUCTIONSincetheTOGA-COARElOP(October1992--March1993),usingthelOPdatamanyscientistshaveanalyzedthedifferenttimescaleair-seainteractionduringoccurringanddevelopingperiodof1992/1993EINifio,andespeciallyemphasizedtheintraseasonalvariation(Wuetal.,1993;Liu,1993;WuandSheng,1993).ThishasgottenanewunderstandingoftheEINino*ThisworkissupportedbytheNationalKeyProjectStudiesonShort-rangeClimatePredictionSysteminChinaundercontractNo.96--908-04-02--2.1.FirstinstituteofOceanography,S…     

热带西太平洋暖池异常东伸与热带东太平洋增温

本文利用“Climate Diagnostics Bulletin”、“Oceanographic Monthly Summary”、美国夏威夷水位中心提供的资料以及TOGA-COAREIOP资料,分析了1992～1993厄尔尼诺事件中西太平洋暖池、东太平洋SST对异常风场的响应,结果指出:由于西风暴发而引起的西太平洋暖水向东输送,不仅导致西太平详水位降低,而且导致温跃层显着升高,进而引起上层海水热含量显着减少,这种减少在温跃层更为明显.东太平洋与此相反,热含量与温跃层深度出现正距平,正距平中心出现时间比西太平洋的负距平均晚两个月;暖池28℃等温线的异常东伸是海流对低空西风异常直接响应的结果,定量估算表明,纬向流异常所引起的温度平流是暖池28℃等温线异常东伸的主要动力,是热带东太平洋异常增温的主要原因之一.     

2006年冬季粤东沿岸下降流观测分析

根据珠江口及其附近海域2006年冬季(2006年12月至2007年1月)航次的CTD调查资料发现,由于表层水体冷却而产生的对流作用,以及东北季风、浪、流等强动力条件下,冬季陆架水体垂向混合均匀,但粤东近岸海域却存在显著的温跃层及逆盐跃层,其原因在于:东北季风的Ekman效应引起了陆架表层高温、高盐海水向岸输送,东北季风还驱动了西南向沿岸流,其底边界层的Ekman效应引起了沿岸底层低温、低盐海水离岸输送,这样就形成了陆架方向的次生环流,在沿岸海域则为下降流,并表现为沿岸海域的逆盐跃层及温跃层现象。在下降流显著的区域,溶解氧垂向分布均匀且浓度较高,这应归因于下降流将溶解氧浓度较高的表层水带入深层所致。     

Inertial currents in the northern North sea

Current profiles were measured in the northern North Sea during the autumnal breakdown of stratification (September and October) in 1998. The site was in 110 m of water and the depth-averaged M₂ tidal current amplitudes were about 0.15 m s⁻¹. The surface and bed mixed layers were initially well separated. The measurements were made principally with Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) which gave good coverage of the majority of the water column.During a two-month period several episodes of inertial currents were observed, exhibiting a range of responses some of which corresponded very closely to that predicted by theory. The structure of the inertial currents was primarily first mode baroclinic, with no inertial energy in the depth-averaged current. This implies that the currents in the lower layer are strongly linked to those in the surface layer and also that dissipation could be generated by bed friction, but the nature of the link is unclear. The level of least motion coincided with the thermocline. Since the currents in the upper and lower layers are 180° out of phase, large shears can occur across the thermocline; occasionally the bulk Richardson number determined with a four-metre vertical resolution was less than one.Turbulence measurements suggest that when large inertial current shears are present across the thermocline, which exceed the buoyancy frequencies, then mixing within and across the thermocline is significant. Future experiments should concentrate on enhanced dissipation measurements around the thermocline and higher spatial resolution time series measurements of current and density.     

东海沿岸海区垂直环流及其温盐结构动力过程研究Ⅱ．温盐结构

对于本研究采用的动力学模型及其垂直环流的模拟结果已在第Ⅰ部分论述。作者将对与垂直环流对应的温、盐结构进行分析。温度和盐度模拟结果表明：冬季东海沿岸海区的温、盐分布均为近岸低、外海高;近岸温、盐呈垂直均匀分布,在外海出现分层,其温度为表层高、底层低,而盐度却为表层和底层高,中层偏低,长江口以南的近表层以下形成自近岸伸向外海的弱低盐水舌;长江冲淡水区及长江口以北和其以南外海的近表层有温、盐跃层生成,深底层温、盐呈均匀分布,且保持低温高盐特征;随着海区自北往南纬度的降低,岸坡和水深的增大及沿岸下降流的增强,温度和盐度自近岸至外海的垂直均匀分布跨度逐渐变窄;外海近表层的温、盐跃层强度自北至长江口逐渐增强,而自长江口至南逐渐减弱,其位置自北往南逐渐上移;冬季沿岸下降流使长江冲淡水区的盐跃层变厚。夏季海区的温度分布为近岸和外海高,近岸稍远出现冷水涌升,垂向上呈现显著分层,盐度分布为近岸低、外海高;长江冲淡水区及杭州湾以南外海的次表层存在温、盐跃层,其跃层以上出现混合层,且保持高温低盐特征,跃层以下温、盐大致呈均匀分布,并保持低温高盐特征;随着海区自南往北纬度的增高、岸坡和水深的减小及沿岸上升流自南至长江口和自长江口至北的增强和继而减弱,长江冲淡水区的温、盐跃层强度自南至长江口逐渐增强,而自长江口至北逐渐减弱,外海次表层的温、盐跃层强度却自南至长江口逐渐减弱,自长江口至北又逐渐增强,其温、盐跃层的位置自南往北逐渐上移;夏季沿岸上升流使长江冲淡水区的盐跃层变薄。     

Facies distribution and dissolution depths of surface sediment components from the Vema channel and the Rio Grande rise (southwest Atlantic Ocean)

Surface sediments from the Vema channel and from the Rio Grande rise (western extremity) contain less calcareous fossils with increasing water depth. The pteropodal (aragonite) lysocline corresponds to the 3200-m isobath. The pteropodal compensation depth is found above the lower boundary of the North Atlantic Deep Water: 3500 m. The planktonic foraminiferal lysocline (4050 m) seems to be very close to the abyssal thermocline and is therefore here the upper limit of the Antarctic Bottom Water. The foraminiferal and the coccolith compensation depths seem to coincide: 4500 m. Distribution and dissolution of calcareous sediment components are the same all around the western extremity of the Rio Grande rise (southern, western and northern flanks).     

长山群岛海区春季水温垂直结构分析

利用海军大连舰艇学院2006年4月长山群岛海区的CTD调查资料,系统分析了该季节长山群岛海区的温度垂直结构,并探讨了其形成机理。分析指出:4月上、中旬是长山群岛海区季节性温跃层的生成期,群岛东侧和南侧边缘受黄海冷水团形成过程的影响,温跃层的出现概率和跃层强度都远远高于群岛内部;在生成时机上,群岛东侧和南侧边缘海域早于群岛内部水域。中间层和底层海水温度的垂直结构与海流有着很好的相关性,在海洋平流的作用下,海区会产生正跃层、逆跃层、冷中间层、暖中间层等复杂的温度垂直结构。上层海水温度结构主要受海面风场和气温的影响,较强的热辐射和充分的风力搅拌能够加速温跃层的生成。     

Seasonal variations in temperature,salinity and density in the southern coastal waters of the Caspian Sea

Variability in water temperature, salinity and density was investigated based on field measurements near Anzali Port, in the Southern Caspian Sea in 2008. Seasonal changes of seawater properties were mainly observed through the upper 100 m layer, while below this layer seasonal variations of the parameters were minor. Vertical structure of the temperature in the southern coastal waters of the Caspian Sea is characterized by a significant seasonal thermocline between 20–50 m depths with vertical variation in temperature about 16°C in midsummer (August). Decrease of the thermocline occurs with the general cooling of the air and sea surface water, and deepening of the mixed layer during late of autumn and winter. Seasonal averages of the salinity were estimated in a range of 12.27–12.37 PSU. The structure of thermocline and pycnocline indicated agreement between changes of temperature and density of seawater. Seasonal pycnocline was observed in position of the thermocline layer.