Study of the Wind Conditions in the South China Sea and Its Adjacent Sea Area

An increasing number of marine structures have been built for coastal protection and marine development in recent years,and wind,which is crucial to marine structures,should be analyzed.Therefore,typhoon frequency,wind climate,wind energy assess-ment,and extreme wind speed in the South China Sea(SCS)are investigated in detail in this study.The data are obtained from the China Meteorological Administration,the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts,and the National Centers for Envi-ronmental Prediction.The offshore wind energy potential is analyzed at five sites near the coast.The spatial and monthly frequencies of tropical cyclones for different intensity categories are analyzed.The extreme wind speed is fitted by five distribution models,and the generalized extreme value(GEV)distribution is selected as the most suitable function according to the goodness of fit.The spa-tial distributions of extreme wind speeds in the SCS are plotted on the basis of the GEV distribution and ERA5 data sets.The influ-ences of the distribution models and data sets on the calculated results are discussed.Moreover,the monthly extreme wind speed and comparison with the results of previous studies are analyzed.This study provides a reference for the design of wind turbines.     

基于高斯曲线拟合-FFT方法的南海风场反演

海面风场是海洋学的基本参量,获取海面风场对了解海洋的物理过程以及海洋与大气之间的相互作用至关重要。宽阔的海域面积及复杂的海面状况通常使南海海面上的风场信息很难被及时获取。ENVISAT ASAR是一种全天候全天时监测海面的微波雷达传感器,可实时获取海面风场数据。本文基于已有ASAR数据对南海海面风场进行反演实验,首先将结合高斯曲线拟合的FFT风向反演方法应用于南海风向反演,并参考Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform （CCMP）风场数据去除180o方向模糊获得海面风向。然后,将高斯曲线拟合-FFT风向与传统的峰值-FFT风向进行对比,最后将准确率较高的高斯曲线拟合-FFT风向分别输入CMOD4模型和CMOD5模型获得海面风速大小。实验结果与CCMP参考数据的比较结果表明,在风条纹不明显的情况下,利用结合高斯曲线的FFT风向反演方法和CMOD4模型风速反演方法可有效地进行南海海面风场反演。该成果对利用SAR数据实时获取南海大面积海面风场信息,尤其是观测点缺乏海域的风场信息,具有重要的指导意义。     

Wind wave characteristics and engineering environment of the South China Sea

Wave simulation was conducted for the period 1976 to 2005 in the South China Sea (SCS) using the wave model, WAVEWATCH-III. Wave characteristics and engineering environment were studied in the region. The wind input data are from the objective reanalysis wind datasets, which assimilate meteorological data from several sources. Comparisons of significant wave heights between simulation and TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter and buoy data show a good agreement in general. By statistical analysis, the wave characteristics, such as significant wave heights, dominant wave directions, and their seasonal variations, were discussed. The largest significant wave heights are found in winter and the smallest in spring. The annual mean dominant wave direction is northeast (NE) along the southwest (SW)-NE axis, east northeast in the northwest (NW) part of SCS, and north northeast in the southeast (SE) part of SCS. The joint distributions of wave heights and wave periods (directions) were studied. The results show a single peak pattern for joint significant wave heights and periods, and a double peak pattern for joint significant wave heights and mean directions. Furthermore, the main wave extreme parameters and directional extreme values, particularly for the 100-year return period, were also investigated. The main extreme values of significant wave heights are larger in the northern part of SCS than in the southern part, with the maximum value occurring to the southeast of Hainan Island. The direction of large directional extreme H _s values is focus in E in the northern and middle sea areas of SCS, while the direction of those is focus in N in the southeast sea areas of SCS.     

Effects of tidal currents on nonlinear internal solitary waves in the South China Sea

The propagation and fission process of internal solitary waves (ISWs) with amplitudes of about 170 m are simulated in the northeast of the South China Sea (NSCS) by using the generalized Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation under continuous stratification. More attention is paid to the effects of the ebb and flood background currents on the fission process of ISWs. This kind of background current is provided by the composed results simulated in terms of monthly mean baroclinic circulation and barotropic tidal current. It is found that the obtained relation of the number of fission solitons to the water depth and stratification is roughly in accordance with the fission law derived by Djordjevic and Redekopp in 1978; however, there exists obvious difference between the effects of the ebb and flood background currents on the wave-lengths of fission solitons (defined as the distance between two neighboring peaks of ISWs). The difference in nonlinearity coefficient α between the ebb and flood background currents is a main cause for the different wave-lengths of fission solitons.     

Response of internal waves to 2005 Typhoon Damrey over the northwestern shelf of the South China Sea

Continuous observation of sea water temperature and current was made at Wenchang Station (19°35′N, 112°E) in 2005. The data collected indicate vigorous internal waves of both short periods and tidal and near-inertial periods. The temperature and current time series during 18-30 September were examined to describe the upper ocean internal wave field response to Typhoon Damrey (0518). The strong wind associated with the typhoon, which passed over the sea area about 45 km south of Wenchang Sta- tion on 25 September, deepened the mixed layer depth remarkably. It decreased the mixed layer temperature while increasing the deep layer temperature, and intensified the near-inertial and high-frequency fluctuations of temperature and current. Power spectra of temperature and current time series indicate significant deviations from those obtained by using the deep ocean internal wave models characterized by a power law. The frequency spectra were dominated by three energetic bands: around the inertial frequency (7.75× 10-6 Hz), tidal frequencies (1.010-25 to 2.4×10-5 Hz), and between 1.4×10-4 and 8.3 × 10-4 Hz. Dividing the field data into three phases (before, during and after the typhoon), we found that the typhoon enhanced the kinetic energy in nearly all the frequency bands, es- pecially in the surface water. The passage of Damrey made a major contribution to the horizontal kinetic energy of the total surface current variances. The vertical energy density distribution, with its peak value at the surface, was an indication that the energy in- jected by the strong wind into the surface current could penetrate downward to the thermocline.     

Submarine landslides on the north continental slope of the South China Sea

Recent and paleo-submarine landslides are widely distributed within strata in deep-water areas along continental slopes, uplifts, and carbonate platforms on the north continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS). In this paper, high-resolution 3D seismic data and multibeam data based on seismic sedimentology and geomorphology are employed to assist in identifying submarine landslides. In addition, deposition models are proposed that are based on specific geological structures and features, and which illustrate the local stress field over entire submarine landslides in deep-water areas of the SCS. The SCS is one of the largest fluvial sediment sinks in enclosed or semi-enclosed marginal seas worldwide. It therefore provides a set of preconditions for the formation of submarine landslides, including rapid sediment accumulation, formation of gas hydrates, and fluid overpressure. A new concept involving temporal and spatial analyses is tested to construct a relationship between submarine landslides and different time scale trigger mechanisms, and three mechanisms are discussed in the context of spatial scale and temporal frequency: evolution of slope gradient and overpressure, global environmental changes, and tectonic events. Submarine landslides that are triggered by tectonic events are the largest but occur less frequently, while submarine landslides triggered by the combination of slope gradient and over-pressure evolution are the smallest but most frequently occurring events. In summary, analysis shows that the formation of submarine landslides is a complex process involving the operation of different factors on various time scales.     

Characteristics of nonlinear internal waves observed in the northern South China Sea

The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the most active areas of internal waves. We undertook a program of physical oceanography in the northern South China Sea from June to July of 2009, and conducted a 1-day observation from 15:40 of June 24 to 16:40 of June 25 using a chain of instruments, including temperature sensors, pressure sensors and temperature-pressure meters at a site (117.5°E, 21°N) northeast of the Dongsha Islands. We measured fluctuating tidal and subtidal properties with the thermistor-chain and a ship-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, and observed a large-amplitude nonlinear internal wave passing the site followed by a number of small ones. To further investigate this phenomenon, we collected the tidal constituents from the TPXO7.1 dataset to evaluate the tidal characteristics at and around the recording site, from which we knew that the amplitude of the nonlinear internal wave was about 120 m and the period about 20 min. The horizontal and vertical velocities induced by the soliton were approximately 2 m/s and 0.5 m/s, respectively. This soliton occurred 2–3 days after a spring tide.     

Interannual variability of SST,SLA and wind waves in the Hawaii area and their responses to ENSO

Time series of sea surface temperature (SST),wind speed and significant wave height (SWH) from meteorologicalbuoys of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) are useful for studying the interannual variability and trend of these quantities at the buoy areas.The measurements from 4 buoys (B51001,B51002,B51003 and B51004) in the Hawaii area are used to study theresponses of the quantities to EI Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO).Long-term averages of these data reflect precise seasonaland climatological characteristics of SST,wind speed and SWH around the Hawaii area.Buoy observations from B51001 suggest asignificant warming trend which is,however,not very clear from the other three buoys.Compared with the variability of SST andSWH,the wind speeds from the buoy observations show an increasing trend.The impacts of El Nifio on SST and wind waves arealso shown.Sea level data observed by altimeter during October 1992 to September 2006 are analyzed to investigate the variabilityof sea level in the Hawaii area.The results also show an increasing trend in sea level anomaly (SLA).The low-passed SLA in theHawaii area is consistent with the inverse phase of the low-passed Sol (Southern Oscillation Index).Compared with the low-passedSOl and PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation),the low-passed PNA (Pacific-North America Index) has a better correlation with thelow-passed SLA in the Hawaii area.     

Modern movement and deformation in the South China Sea shown by GPS measurements and numerical simulation

To better understand the crustal deformation of the South China Sea Basin, we produce a mechanically consistent 2-dimensional model for observing regional velocity field in the South China Sea (SCS). We studied the dominating regional tectonic stress field by geodetic measurements and finite element analysis, the spatial variations of velocity field and strain field, and relative movements among different blocks, using a 2-dimensional model describing crustal deformation of the South China Sea Basin. Strain results show that the SCS is extending at present. The western part of SCS is opening gradually in NWSE direction from its northern margin to the south, but the eastern part of SCS is opening gradually from its central part to the north and south. In addition, we analyzed the plate kinematics to the deformation of the SCS, using a two-dimensional finite element model. Our simulations results are well explained by available geodetic data. The movement of SCS is resulted from interactions among Indian Plate, Pacific Plate, Philippine Sea Plate, and Eurasian Plate.     

3-D BAROCLINIC NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA I. UPPER CIRCULATION

A three-dimensional baroclinic shelf sea model was employed to simulate the seasonal characteristics of the South China Sea (SCS) upper circulation. The results showed that: in summer, an anticyclonic eddy, after its formation between the Bashi Channel and Dongsha Islands in the northeastern SCS, moves southwestward until it disperses slowly. There exists a northward western boundary current along the east shore of the Indo-China Peninsula in the western SCS and an anticyclonic gyre in the southern SCS. But at the end of summer and beginning of autumn, a weak local cyclonic eddy forms in the Nansha Trough, then grows slowly and moves westward till it becomes a cyclonic gyre in the southern SCS in autumn. At the beginning of winter, there exists a cyclonic gyre in the northern and southern SCS, and there is a southward western boundary current along the east shore of the Indo-China Peninsula. But at the end of winter, an anticyclonic eddy grows and moves toward the western boundary after forming in the Nansha Trough. The eddy‘s movement induces a new opposite sign eddy on its eastern side, while the strength of the southward western boundary current gets weakened. This phenomenon continues till spring and causes eddies in the southern SCS.     

Nonlinear interactions among internal tidal waves in the northeastern South China Sea

We used a set of 75-day long ADCP data from the northeastern South China Sea (SCS) to investigate nonlinear interactions among freely propagating internal tidal waves. The kinetic energy spectra displayed significant peaks at some higher tidal frequencies, such as O₁M₂ (O₁+M₂), and M₄ (M₂+M₂), where O₁ is the lunar diurnal internal tide, M₂ is the lunar semidiurnal internal tide, and M₄ is the first higher harmonic frequency of M₂. These higher tidal harmonic frequency peaks, as well as the fundamental tidal harmonic peaks, show a σ ^−2.3 spectral falloff rate with frequency. In addition, we explored the possible generation mechanism of higher tidal harmonics. Analysis on the rotary and bicoherence spectra suggests that strong forced non-resonant interaction induced by nonlinear advections was the dominant physical mechanism that induced these higher tidal harmonics. Moreover, the energetic, freely propagating semidiurnal (M₂) internal tidal wave played the most crucial role in these interactions. These results indicate that strong nonlinear forced non-resonant interactions among internal tides can be one of the processes responsible for the redistribution of energy in the internal wave spectrum.     

Directional Spectrum of Wind Waves: Part Ⅰ- Model and Derivation

1　Introduction　Numerousinvestigationsondeepwaterwindwavespectrumhavebeen performed (Phillips ,195 8;Bretschneider,195 9;PiersonandMoscowitz ,196 4;Hasselmannetal.,1973;Donelanetal.,1985 ;Ban ner ,1990 ;Wenetal.,1999) .Ondimensionalground ,Phillips (195 8)suggestedthattheequilibriumfre quencyspectrumofwindwavesfordeepwatershouldbe proportionaltoω- 5,andthecorrespondingwavenumberspectrumshouldbe proportionaltok- 4,whereωistheangularfrequencyandkisthewavenumber.Forfully developedwindwaves…     

Directional Spectrum of Wind Waves: Part Ⅱ- Comparison and Confirmation

1　Introduction1.1　Proposed ModelonDirectionalFrequencySpec trum　ThisisthePartⅡofthetwo papersetondirection alspectraofwindwaves.Anewmodelonthedirec tionalspectrumofwindwavesfordeepwaterispro posedbasedonthestatisticsofwindwavesinthePartⅠ .Substituting (4 5 )ofPartⅠinto (4 0 )andaddingapeak enhancementitemγΓ,weobtainS(ω ,) =0 .0 0 93αaαwD( ,k) ωpω2 ξ- 4g2ω5×exp - 2 ξ+14[bωp +(1-b)ωp]4ω4 γΓ. (1)Here ,αaisthewaveagefactorofspectralcoefficientdefinedbyαa = ω0 .55…     

A NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE TIDE-SURGE INTERACTION IN THE EAST CHINA SEA AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Nearshore sea levels in the East China Sea(ECS) and the South China Sea(SCS) during tropical cyclones-Typhoon 8007(Joe, 1980) and Typhoon 7209(Betty 1972) were simulated. The tide-surge interactions in the two regions are remarkable and locally produced. The corresponding nonlinear effects were derived from the different nonlinear terms. The contribution of the quadratic friction term is the most important, the shallow term comes second the convective term is the least; the phases of the interactions generated by the various nonlinear terms are asynchronous. Both the quadratic friction and the convective term can stimulate and aggravate the surge structure with more peaks. The bottom friction features have crucial influences on tides and surges, and the interaction is sensitive to the changes of tide and surge.     

Numerical simulation and preliminary analysis on ocean waves during Typhoon Nesat in South China Sea and adjacent areas

Using the wave model WAVEWATCH III(WW3), we simulated the generation and propagation of typhoon waves in the South China Sea and adjacent areas during the passage of typhoon Nesat(2011). In the domain 100°–145°E and 0°–35°N, the model was forced by the cross-calibrated multi-platform(CCMP) wind fi elds of September 15 to October 5, 2011. We then validated the simulation results against wave radar data observed from an oil platform and altimeter data from the Jason-2 satellite. The simulated waves were characterized by fi ve points along track using the Spectrum Integration Method(SIM) and the Spectrum Partitioning Method(SPM), by which wind sea and swell components of the 1D and 2D wave spectra are separated. There was reasonable agreement between the model results and observations, although the WW3 wave model may underestimate swell wave height. Signifi cant wave heights are large along the typhoon track and are noticeably greater on the right of the track than on the left. Swells from the east are largely unable to enter the South China Sea because of the obstruction due to the Philippine Islands. During the initial stage and later period of the typhoon, swells at the fi ve points were generated by the propagation of waves that were created by typhoons Haitang and Nalgae. Of the two methods, the 2D SPM method is more accurate than the 1D SIM which overestimates the separation frequency under low winds, but the SIM method is more convenient because it does not require wind speed and wave direction. When the typhoon left the area, the wind sea fractions decreased rapidly. Under similar wind conditions, the points located in the South China Sea are affected less than those points situated in the open sea because of the infl uence of the complex internal topography of the South China Sea. The results reveal the characteristic wind sea and swell features of the South China Sea and adjacent areas in response to typhoon Nesat, and provide a reference for swell forecasting and offshore structural designs.     

Effects of internal waves on signal temporal correlation length in the South China Sea

We simulated the temporal correlation of sound transmission using a two-dimensional advective frozen-ocean model with temperature data from a temperature sensor array on a propagation path in the South China Sea (SCS) Experiment 2009, and investigated the relationships of temporal correlation length, source-receiver range, and maximal sound speed fluctuation mainly caused by the solitary internal waves. We found that the temporal correlation length is −1.2-power dependent on source-receiver range and −0.9-power dependent on maximal sound speed fluctuation. The empirical relationship is deduced from one-day environmental measurements in a limited area, needing more works and verification in the future with more acoustic data. But the relationship is useful in many applications in the area of SCS Experiment 2009.