Trends of sea surface wind energy over the South China Sea

Studies on climate change typically consider temperature and precipitation over extended periods but less so the wind.We used the Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform(CCMP)24-year wind field data set to investigate the trends of wind energy over the South China Sea during 1988-2011.The results reveal a clear trend of increase in wind power density for each of three base statistics(i.e.,mean,90 th percentile and 99 th percentile)in all seasons and for annual means.The trends of wind power density showed obvious temporal and spatial variations.The magnitude of the trends was greatest in winter,intermediate in spring,and smallest in summer and autumn.A greater trend of increase was found in the northern areas of the South China Sea than in southern parts.The magnitude of the annual and seasonal trends over the South China Sea was larger in extreme high events(i.e.,90~(th) and 99~(th) percentiles)compared to the mean conditions.Sea surface temperature showed a negative correlation with the variability of wind power density over the majority of the South China Sea in all seasons and annual means,except for winter(41.7%).     

Sea surface height oscillation with quasi-four-month period along the continental slope in the northern South China Sea

The sea surface height oscillation with a quasi-four-month period (SSHO4) along continental slope in the northern South China Sea (NSCS) is detected using satellite altimeter data and an ocean model simulation. The SSHO4 is at southwest of Dongsha Island, and is characterized by a wavelength of ~600 km and a southwestward phase speed of ~0.1 m/s. Crossing the climatological background SST front, geostrophic currents corresponding to the SSHO4 generally induce sea surface temperature (SST) "tongues" during January-March. The cold and warm SST tongues appear southwest of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, respectively. The distance between the warm and cold SST tongues is about half the wavelength of the SSHO4. The geostrophic currents play an important role in lateral mixing, as manifested by the SST tongue phenomena in the NSCS.     

Annual and interannual variability of scatterometer ocean surface wind over the South China Sea

To investigate the annual and interannual variability of ocean surface wind over the South China Sea (SCS), the vector empirical orthogonal function (VEOF) method and the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) method were employed to analyze a set of combined satellite scatterometer wind data during the period from December 1992 to October 2009. The merged wind data were generated from European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS)-1/2 Scatterometer, NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) and NASA’s Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) wind products. The first VEOF mode corresponds to a winter-summer mode which accounts for 87.3% of the total variance and represents the East Asian monsoon features. The second mode of VEOF corresponds to a spring-autumn oscillation which accounts for 8.3% of the total variance. To analyze the interannual variability, the annual signal was removed from the wind data set and the VEOFs of the residuals were calculated. The temporal mode of the first interannual VEOF is correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) with a four-month lag. The second temporal interannual VEOF mode is correlated with the SOI with no time lag. The time series of the two interannual VEOFs were decomposed using the HHT method and the results also show a correlation between the interannual variability and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.     

SST intraseasonal oscillation and atmospheric forcing system of the South China Sea

ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅＳｏｕｔｈＣｈｉｎａＳｅａ (ＳＣＳ)ｉｓａｓｅｍｉ ｅｎｃｌｏｓｅｄｏｃｅａｎｂａｓｉｎｌｏｃａｔｅｄａｔａｓｐｅｃｉａｌｇｅｏｇｒａｐｈｉｃｐｏ ｓｉｔｉｏｎ ,ｏｎｅｏｆｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄ’ｓｐｒｏｎｏｕｎｃｅｄｍｏｎｓｏｏｎｒｅｇｉｏｎｓ,ｗｉｔｈｎｏｒｔｈｅａｓｔｗｉｎｄｓｐｒｅｖａｉｌｉｎｇｉｎｗｉｎｔｅｒａｎｄｓｏｕｔｈｗｅｓｔｗｉｎｄｓｉｎｓｕｍｍｅｒ,ａｎｄｉｓａｃｒｕｃｉａｌｒｅｇｉｏｎｏｆｉｎｔｅｎｓｉｖｅａｉｒ ｓｅａｉｎｔｅｒａｃｔｉｏｎｏｆｇｒｅａｔ…     

Interannual oscillation of meridional sea level wind and its impact on sea surface temperature in the South China Sea

Analysis of COADS data (1958–1987) showed that there is obviously interannual SST oscillation including QBO (Quasi-biennial oscillation) and quasi-3.5 year oscilation, etc., of the SCS (South China Sea), which is the response of the upper mixed layer of the sea to the impact of the East Asian Monsoon anomaly. Most SST anomalies appear in the central basin of the SCS. The phase-locked phenomena linking the SST annual cycle and interannual oscillation is an important characteristic of the SCS climate. There is not only SST response to atmospheric impact, but also feedback to the air. The authors put forward a scheme of regional air-sea interaction in winter time in the SCS. Project 49676276 supported by NSFC and also supported by FSEC.     

The modeled atmospheric and oceanic response to the South China Sea SST anomaly

The sensitivity of the global atmospheric and oceanic response to sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) throughout the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated using the Fast Ocean-Atmosphere Model (FOAM). Forced by a warming SST, the experiment explicitly demonstrates that the responses of surface air temperature (SAT) and SST exhibit positive anomalous center over SCS and negative anomalous center over the Northern Pacific Ocean (NPO). The atmospheric response to the warm SST anomalies is characterized by a barotropical anomaly in middle-latitude, leading to a weak subtropical high in summer and a weak Aleutian low in winter. Accordingly, Indian monsoon and eastern Asian monsoon strengthen in summer but weaken in winter as a result of wind convergence owing to the warm SST. It is worth noting that the abnormal signals propagate poleward and eastward away in the form of Rossby Waves from the forcing region, which induces high pressure anomaly. Owing to action of the wind-driven circulation, an anomalous anti-cyclonic circulation is induced with a primary southward current in the upper ocean. An obvious cooling appears over the North Pacific, which can be explained by anomalous meridional cold advection and mixing as shown in the analysises of heat budget and other factors that affect SST.     

Comparison of remote sensing data with in-situ wind observation during the development of the South China Sea monsoon

Wind measurements derived from QuikSCAT data were compared with those measured by anemometer on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea (SCS) for the period from April 2008 to November 2009. The comparison confirms that QuikSCAT estimates of wind speed and direction are generally accurate, except for the extremes of high wind speeds (>13.8m/s) and very low wind speeds (<1.5m/s) where direction is poorly predicted. In-situ observations show that the summer monsoon in the northern SCS starts between May 6 and June 1. From March 13, 2010 to August 31, 2010, comparisons of sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall from AMSR-E with data from a buoy located at Xisha Islands, as well as wind measurements derived from ASCAT and observations from an automatic weather station show that QuikSCAT, ASCAT and AMSR-E data are good enough for research. It is feasible to optimize the usage of remote-sensing data if validated with in-situ measurements. Remarkable changes were observed in wind, barometric pressure, humidity, outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), air temperature, rainfall and SST during the monsoon onset. The eastward shift of western Pacific subtropical high and the southward movement of continental cold front preceded the monsoon onset in SCS. The starting dates of SCS summer monsoon indicated that the southwest monsoon starts in the Indochinese Peninsula and forms an eastward zonal belt, and then the belt bifurcates in the SCS, with one part moving northeastward into the tropical western North Pacific, and another southward into western Kalimantan. This largely determined the pattern of the SCS summer monsoon. Wavelet analysis of zonal wind and OLR at Xisha showed that intra-seasonal variability played an important role in the summer. This work improves the accuracy of the amplitude of intra-seasonal and synoptic variation obtained from remote-sensed data.     

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.     

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.     

Sea surface temperature anomalies in the South China Sea during mature phase of ENSO

Based on the 18-year(1993–2010) National Centers for Environmental Prediction optimum interpolation sea surface temperature(SST) and simple ocean data assimilation datasets,this study investigated the patterns of the SST anomalies(SSTAs) that occurred in the South China Sea(SCS) during the mature phase of the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation.The most dominant characteristic was that of the outof-phase variation between southwestern and northeastern parts of the SCS,which was influenced primarily by the net surface heat flux and by horizontal thermal advection.The negative SSTA in the northeastern SCS was caused mainly by the loss of heat to the atmosphere and because of the cold-water advection from the western Pacific through the Luzon Strait during El Ni?o episodes.Conversely,it was found that the anomalous large-scale atmospheric circulation and weakened western boundary current during El Ni?o episodes led to the development of the positive SSTA in the southwestern SCS.     

Some new species of radiolaria from surface sediments of the East China Sea and the South China Sea

Fourteen species of Radiolaria described in this paper were discovered from surface sediments of the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the cores of the Okinawa Trough. Type specimens are deposited in the Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA.     

Seasonal response of surface wind to SST perturbation in the Northern Hemisphere

The seasonal response of surface wind speed to sea surface temperature(SST)change in the Northern Hemisphere was investigated using 10 years(2002-2011)high-resolution satellite observations and reanalysis data.The results showed that correlation between surface wind speed perturbations and SST perturbations exhibits remarkable seasonal variation,with more positive correlation is stronger in the cold seasons than in the warm seasons.This seasonality in a positive correlation between SST and surface wind speed is attributable primarily to seasonal changes of oceanic and atmospheric background conditions in frontal regions.The mean SST gradient and the prevailing surface winds are strong in winter and weak in summer.Additionally,the eddy-induced response of surface wind speed is stronger in winter than in summer,although the locations and numbers of mesoscale eddies do not show obvious seasonal features.The response of surface wind speed is apparently due to stability and mixing within the marine atmospheric boundary layer(MABL),modulated by SST perturbations.In the cold seasons,the stronger positive(negative)SST perturbations are easier to increase(decrease)the MABL height and trigger(suppress)momentum vertical mixing,contributing to the positive correlation between SST and surface wind speed.In comparison,SST perturbations are relatively weak in the warm seasons,resulting in a weak response of surface wind speed to SST changes.This result holds for each individual region with energetic eddy activity in the Northern Hemisphere.     

Trends in significant wave height and surface wind speed in the China Seas between 1988 and 2011

Wind and waves are key components of the climate system as they drive air-sea interactions and influence weather systems and atmospheric circulation. In marine environments, understanding surface wind and wave fields and their evolution over time is important for conducting safe and efficient human activities, such as navigation and engineering. This study considers long-term trends in the sea surface wind speed(WS) and significant wave height(SWH) in the China Seas over the period 1988–2011 using the Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform(CCMP) ocean surface wind product and a 24-year hindcast wave dataset obtained from the WAVEWATCH-III(WW3) wave model forced with CCMP winds. The long-term trends in WS and SWH in the China Seas are analyzed over the past 24 years to provide a reference point from which to assess future climate change and offshore wind and wave energy resource development in the region. Results demonstrate that over the period 1988–2011 in the China Seas: 1) WS and SWH showed a significant increasing trend of 3.38 cm s~(-1)yr~(-1) and 1.52 cm yr~(-1), respectively; 2) there were notable regional differences in the long-term trends of WS and SWH; 3) areas with strong increasing trends were located mainly in the middle of the Tsushima Strait, the northern and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait, and in nearshore regions of the northern South China Sea; and 4) the long-term trend in WS was closely associated with El Ni?o and a significant increase in the occurrence of gale force winds in the region.     

NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE INTERANNUAL OSCILLATION OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

A two and a half layer oceanic model of wind-driven, thermodynamical general circulation is appliedto study the interannual oscillation of sea surface temperature (SST) in the South China Sea (SCS). Themodel consists of two active layers: the upper mixed layer (UML) and the seasonal thermocline, with themotionless abyss beneath them. The governing equations which include momentum, continuity and sea.temperature for each active layer, can describe the physics of Boussinseq approximation, reduced gravityand equatorial β-plane. The formulas for the heat flux at the surface and at the interface between twoactive layers are designed on the Haney scheme. The entrainment and detrainment at the bottom of theUML induces vertical transport of mass,momentum and heat, and couples of dynamic andthermodynamic effect.Using leap-frog integrating scheme and the Arakawa-C grid the model is forced bya time-dependent wind anomaly stress pattern obtained from category analysis of COADS. The numerical results indicate that t     

Characteristics of nitrogen forms in the surface sediments of southwestern Nansha Trough,South China Sea

The area of the southwestern Nansha Trough is one of the most productive areas of the southern South China Sea.It is a typical semi-deep sea area of transition from shoal to abyssal zone.To understand distributions and roles of nitrogen forms involved in biogeochemical cycling in this area,contents of nitrogen in four extractable forms:nitrogen in ion exchangeable form(IEF-N),nitrogen in weak acid extractable form(WAEF-N),nitrogen in strong alkali extractable form(SAEF-N) and nitrogen in strong oxidation extractable form(SOEF-N),as well as in total nitrogen content(TN) in surface sediments were determined from samples collected from the cruise in April-May 1999.The study area was divided into three regions(A,B and C) in terms of clay sediment(<4 μm) content at <40%,40%-60% and >60%,respectively.Generally,region C was the richest in the nitrogen of all forms and region A the poorest,indicating that the finer the grain size is,the richer the contents of various nitrogen are.The burial efficiency of total nitrogen in surface sediments was 28.79%,indicating that more than 70% of nitrogen had been released and participated in biogeochemical recycling through sediment-water interface.     

Representing surface wind stress response to mesoscale SST perturbations in western coast of South America using Tikhonov regularization method

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Interaction between mesoscale perturbations of sea surface temperature (SSTmeso) and wind stress (WSmeso) has great influences on the ocean upwelling system...     

A comparison of multiplatform wind products in the South China Sea during summer and autumn in 2019

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Sea surface wind (SSW) observations from a newly developed “Black Pearl” wave glider, the Chinese-French Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT), the HY-2A...