Numerical simulation of the upper ocean currents in South China Sea

ＮｕｍｅｒｉｃａｌｓｉｍｕｌａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｈｅｕｐｐｅｒｏｃｅａｎｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｓｉｎＳｏｕｔｈＣｈｉｎａＳｅａ￥ＬｉＲｏｎｇｆｅｎｇ；ＨｕａｎｇＱｉｚｈｏｕａｎｄＷａｎｇＷｅｎｚｈｉ（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃＰｈｙｓｉｃｓ，Ｃ...

Numerical simulation of the upper ocean currents in South China Sea

The upper ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean are calculated by using an ocean model with higher horizontal resolution. The large current systems in the Pacific Ocean, such as Kuroshio, Oyashio, NEC, SEC, NECC,Califomia Current and East Australia Current, are well simulated. This paper only gives the numerical simulation results of the upper ocean currents of the representative months in four seasons in the South China Sea (SCS). It showsthat the SCS branch of Kuroshio is the most important current in the northem SCS and it is not only the water resourceof the SCS warm current but also a significant part of the overall SCS circulation. There is a relatively strong northeastward flow entering the SCS through the Taiwan Strait throughout the year except for specific months. Some of thenumerical results have been confirmed by the observational evidences.