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.     

Characteristics of the transition Layer in the South China Sea in 1998

CTD data on standard levels coolected during July and December in 1998 and the cubic spline interpolating method were used to study the characteristics of the transition layer temperature and salinity.The thermocline undergoes remarkable seasonal variation in the South China Sea (SCS),and especially in the region of the north shelf where the thermocline disappears in december.The thermocline is stronger and thicker in July than in December,There is no obvious seasonal variation in the halocline.Due to the upper Ekman transport caused by monsoon over the SCS,the thermocline slopes upward in July and downward in december from east to west in the northern SCS.The characteristics of the thermocline and halocline are influenced by local eddies in the SCS.The Zhujiang diluted flow influences significantly the SCS shelf‘s halocline.     

Stability of submarine slopes in the northern South China Sea: a numerical approach

Submarine landslides occur frequently on most continental margins. They are effective mechanisms of sediment transfer but also a geological hazard to seafloor installations. In this paper, submarine slope stability is evaluated using a 2D limit equilibrium method. Considerations of slope, sediment, and triggering force on the factor of safety (FOS) were calculated in drained and undrained (Φ=0) cases. Results show that submarine slopes are stable when the slope is <16° under static conditions and without a weak interlayer. With a weak interlayer, slopes are stable at <18° in the drained case and at <9° in the undrained case. Earthquake loading can drastically reduce the shear strength of sediment with increased pore water pressure. The slope became unstable at >13° with earthquake peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.5 g; whereas with a weak layer, a PGA of 0.2 g could trigger instability at slopes >10°, and >3° for PGA of 0.5 g. The northern slope of the South China Sea is geomorphologically stable under static conditions. However, because of the possibility of high PGA at the eastern margin of the South China Sea, submarine slides are likely on the Taiwan Bank slope and eastern part of the Dongsha slope. Therefore, submarine slides recognized in seismic profiles on the Taiwan Bank slope would be triggered by an earthquake, the most important factor for triggering submarine slides on the northern slope of the South China Sea. Considering the distribution of PGA, we consider the northern slope of the South China Sea to be stable, excluding the Taiwan Bank slope, which is tectonically active.     

Dimethylsulfide in the South China Sea

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＧｒｅａｔｅｆｆｏｒｔｓｗｅｒｅｄｅｖｏｔｅｄｒｅｃｅｎｔｌｙｔｏｓｔｕｄｙｉｎｇｄｉｍｅｔｈｙｌｓｕｌｆｉｄｅ(ＤＭＳ)ｄｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎｉｎｓｅａｗａｔｅｒ,ａｓｉｔａｃｃｏｕｎｔｓｆｏｒｔｈｅｍａｊｏｒｐａｒｔｏｆｔｈｅｓｕｌｆｕｒｆｌｕｘｆｒｏｍｔｈｅｏｃｅａｎｓｔｏｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅ.Ｍｏｒｅｏｖｅｒ,ｉｔｓｏｘｉｄａｔｉｏｎｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｓｉｎｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅｍａｙｉｎｆｌｕｅｎｃｅｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌａｃｉｄｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎａｎｄ…     

A numerical study of the South China Sea Warm Current during winter monsoon relaxation

Using a Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model, we investigated the dynamic mechanism of the South China Sea Warm Current(SCSWC) in the northern South China Sea(NSCS) during winter monsoon relaxation. The model reproduces the mean surface circulation of the NSCS during winter, while model-simulated subtidal currents generally capture its current pattern. The model shows that the current over the continental shelf is generally southwestward, under a strong winter monsoon condition, but a northeastward counter-wind current usually develops between 50-and 100-m isobaths, when the monsoon relaxes. Model experiments, focusing on the wind relaxation process, show that sea level is elevated in the northwestern South China Sea(SCS), related to the persistent northeasterly monsoon. Following wind relaxation, a high sea level band builds up along the mid-shelf, and a northeastward current develops, having an obvious vertical barotropic structure. Momentum balance analysis indicates that an along-shelf pressure gradient provides the initial driving force for the SCSWC during the first few days following wind relaxation. The SCSWC subsequently reaches a steady quasi-geostrophic balance in the cross-shelf direction, mainly linked to sea level adjustment over the shelf. Lagrangian particle tracking experiments show that both the southwestward coastal current and slope current contribute to the northeastward movement of the SCSWC during winter monsoon relaxation.     

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.     

Influence of the upper mixed layer depth on Langmuir turbulence characteristics

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - The upper mixed layer depth (h) has a significant seasonal variation in the real ocean and the low-order statistics of Langmuir turbulence are dramatically...     

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.     

Water masses in the South China Sea and water exchange between the Pacific and the South China Sea

Water masses in the South China Sea (SCS) were identified and analyzed with the data collected in the summer and winter of 1998. The distributions of temperature and salinity near the Bashi Channel (the Luzon Strait) were analyzed by using the data obtained in July and December of 1997. Based on the results from the data collected in the winter of 1998, waters in the open sea areas of the SCS were divided into six water masses: the Surface Water Mass of the SCS (S), the Subsurface Water Mass of the SCS (U), the Subsurface-Intermediate Water Mass of the SCS (UI), the Intermediate Water Mass of the SCS (I), the Deep Water Mass of the SCS (D) and the Bottom Water Mass of the SCS(B). For the summer of 1998, the Kuroshio Surface Water Mass (KS) and the Kuroshio Subsurface Water Mass (KU) were also identified in the SCS. But no Kuroshio water was found to pass the 119.5°E meridian and enter the SCS in the time of winter observations. The Sulu Sea Water (SSW) intruded into the SCS through the Mindoro Channel between 50–75 m in the summer of 1998. However, the data obtained in the summer and winter of 1997 indicated that water from the Pacific had entered the SCS through the northern part of the Luzon Strait in these seasons, but water from the SCS had entered the Pacific through the southern part of the Strait. These phenomena might correlate with the 1998 El-Niño event.     

Deep-sea geohazards in the South China Sea

Various geological processes and features that might inflict hazards identified in the South China Sea by using new technologies and methods.These features include submarine landslides,pockmark fields,shallow free gas,gas hydrates,mud diapirs and earthquake tsunami,which are widely distributed in the continental slope and reefal islands of the South China Sea.Although the study and assessment of geohazards in the South China Sea came into operation only recently,advances in various aspects are evolving at full speed to comply with National Marine Strategy and‘the Belt and Road’Policy.The characteristics of geohazards in deep-water seafloor of the South China Sea are summarized based on new scientific advances.This progress is aimed to aid ongoing deep-water drilling activities and decrease geological risks in ocean development.     

The influence of turbulent mixing on the subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer in the northern South China Sea

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - We present observations from deployments of turbulent microstructure instrument and CTD package in the northern South China Sea from April to May 2010. From...     

Revision of P-wave velocity and thickness of hydrate layer in Shenhu Area,South China Sea

To revise P-wave velocity and thickness of the hydrate layer in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea, acoustic and resistivity logging curves are reanalyzed. The waterlogging phenomenon is found in the shallow sediments of five drilling wells, which causes P-wave velocity to approximate the propagation velocity of sea water(about 1500 m s-1). This also affects the identification of the hydrate layer and results in the underestimate of its thickness. In addition, because there could be about a 5 m thick velocity ramp above or below the hydrate layer as interpreted by acoustic and resistivity logging curves, the recalibrated thickness of this layer is less than the original estimated thickness. The recalibrated P-wave velocity of the hydrate layer is also higher than the original estimated velocity. For the drilling well with a relatively thin hydrate layer, the velocity ramp plays a more important role in identifying and determining the thickness of the layer.     

SEAWATER FLUX OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The South China Sea water can be divided according to depth into three boxes by the pycnoclineand a sill.Using a box model with matter balance,the net seawater fluxes were calculated to be317.9×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅰ for the upper homogeneous layer outflowing to the adjoining oceans;67×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅲ for the water entering the basin;240×10~4 m~3/s in box Ⅱ for water entering theSouth China Sea.The upward speed of basin water was calculated to be 8.4×10~(-5) cm/s and that ofseawater flowing up along the pycnocline was calculated to be 8.9×10~(-5) cm/s.     

Currents and mixing in the northern South China Sea

We investigated the vertical distribution of current velocity data of the entire water column at a site on the continental shelf of the northern South China Sea (SCS) from August 4 to September 6, 2007, and found that the characteristics of barotropic and baroclinic tides are mainly diurnal. During the observation period, we also estimated the mixing before and after the passage of Typhoon Pabuk. We found that the internal-wave-scale dissipation rate, the turbulent dissipation rate, and the mixing rate in every water layer increased by about an order of magnitude after the typhoon passage. We analyzed a case of abrupt strong current and calculated the mixing rate before, during, and after the typhoon event. The results show that the internal-wave-scale dissipation rate and the mixing rate in every water layer increased by about two orders of magnitude during the event, while the turbulent dissipation rate increased by about an order of magnitude. Passage of the abrupt strong current could also have increased the mixing rate of affected seawater by more than an order of magnitude. However, the passage of the typhoon differed in that there was an increase in mixing only in the lower layer where the abrupt strong current was particularly strong. The variation of the mixing rate may help us to understand the effects of typhoons and abrupt strong currents on the mixing of seawater.     

THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ISLANDS IN ANCIENT CHINA

ＴＨＥＮＯＭＥＮＣＬＡＴＵＲＥＯＦＴＨＥＳＯＵＴＨＣＨＩＮＡＳＥＡＩＳＬＡＮＤＳＩＮＡＮＣＩＥＮＴＣＨＩＮＡ￥ＬｉｕＮａｎｗｅｉ（刘南威）（ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＧｅｏｇｒａｐｈｙ，ＳｏｕｔｈＣｈｉｎａＮｏｒｍａｌＵｎｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ，Ｇｕａｎｇｚ...     

Pathways of mesoscale variability in the South China Sea

The propagation of oceanic mesoscale signals in the South China Sea (SCS) is mapped from satellite altimetric observations and an eddy-resolving global ocean model by using the maximum cross-correlation (MCC) method. Significant mesoscale signals propagate along two major bands of high variability. The northern band is located west of the Luzon Strait, characterized by southwestward eddy propagation. Although eddies are the most active in winter, their southwestward migrations, steered by bathymetry, occur throughout the year. Advection by the mean flow plays a secondary role in modulating the propagating speed. The southern eddy band lies in the southwest part of the SCS deep basin and is oriented in an approximately meridional direction. Mesoscale variability propagates southward along the band in autumn. This southward eddy pathway could not be explained by mean flow advection and is likely related to eddy detachments from the western boundary current due to nonlinear effects. Our mapping of eddy propagation velocities provides important information for further understanding eddy dynamics in the SCS.     

A numerical study on the generation of a distinct type of nonlinear internal wave packet in the South China Sea

A distinct type of nonlinear internal-wave packet, with the largest internal solitary wave in the middle of the packet, was regularly observed in the South China Sea during the Asian Seas International Acoustics Experiment in 2001. Data analysis shows that the occurrence of the distinct internal wave packet is closely related with the occurrence of lower-high internal tides; the internal tides are mixed in the experimental area and, thus, there is diurnal inequality between the heights of two neighboring internal tides. Modeling of internal tides and internal solitary waves in a shoaling situation suggests that this type of wave packet can be generated in the South China Sea by the large shoaling of internal solitary waves and internal tides. Both the internal solitary waves and the internal tides come from the direction of Luzon Strait. The initial large internal solitary waves contribute to the occurrence of the largest internal solitary wave in the middle of the packet and the waves behind the largest internal solitary wave, while the shoaling internal tides bring about the nonlinear internal waves in front of the largest internal solitary wave via interaction with the local shelf topography.