A study of intra-seasonal variations in the subsurface water temperatures in the South China Sea

Lian Zhan; Sun Baonan; Wei Zexun; Wang Yonggang; Wang Xinyi

doi:10.1007/s13131-018-1337-7

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2019 > 38(4): 97-105

Lian Zhan, Sun Baonan, Wei Zexun, Wang Yonggang, Wang Xinyi. A study of intra-seasonal variations in the subsurface water temperatures in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(4): 97-105. doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1337-7

Citation:

Lian Zhan, Sun Baonan, Wei Zexun, Wang Yonggang, Wang Xinyi. A study of intra-seasonal variations in the subsurface water temperatures in the South China Sea[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(4): 97-105. doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1337-7

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A study of intra-seasonal variations in the subsurface water temperatures in the South China Sea

doi: 10.1007/s13131-018-1337-7

1.
Key Laboratory of Marine Science and Numerical Modeling, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China;Laboratory for Regional Oceanography and Numerical Modeling, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266237, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Marine Science and Numerical Modeling, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China

Received Date: 2018-02-09

Abstract

Abstract

Through analysis of the results of a verified high-fidelity numerical model, the intra-seasonal variations (ISVs) in the depth of the 22℃ isotherm (D22) in the South China Sea (SCS) basin are investigated. The results show that the ISVs in the D22 exhibit distinct seasonality in the SCS. The ISVs in the D22 are quite significant, especially within a band along the northwestern boundary of the basin and at the southern end of the basin during boreal winter. In these areas, the ratio of the standard deviations (STDs) of intra-seasonal band to the STDs of total data could exceed 0.6. Although the ISVs in the D22 are detectable in the area affected by the Vietnam Offshore Current during boreal summer and autumn, these variations are sometimes overwhelmed by oscillations with other frequencies. An analysis of the causes of the ISVs in the D22 in the SCS indicates that sea surface fluxes and wind stirring are not the dominant external driving mechanisms of the phenomena described above. The ISVs in the D22 are thought to be induced mainly by the thermodynamic adjustment of the ocean itself and the associated instabilities. The energy of the northern and southern bands that display strong ISVs in the D22 may be derived from eddy kinetic energy, rather than eddy available potential energy. The diversity of the propagation of the ISVs in the D22 is very conspicuous within these two bands.
- intra-seasonal variations,
- depth of 22℃ isotherm,
- South China Sea

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References(18)

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