South China Sea isopycnal-surface circulation

作者:Chu PC*; Li RF
来源:Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2000, 30(9): 2419-2438.
DOI:10.1175/1520-0485(2000)030<2419:SCSISC>2.0.CO;2

摘要

This paper investigates the seasonal variabilities of the South China Sea isopycnal-surface circulations and of the Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait using the U.S. Navy's climatological temperature and salinity dataset (public domain) with 1/2 degrees x 1/2 degrees resolution by the P-vector method. The representative pattern is a persistent basin-scale cyclonic circulation away from the surface, and a seasonally varying circulation with a weak anti-cylonic gyre in the summer and a strong cyclonic gyre in the winter near the surface. This pattern is consistent with a classical view of mean cyclonic circulation in large stratified lakes and semienclosed marginal seas by Emery and Csanady and with a recent numerical simulation using the navy's Layered Ocean Model by Metzger and Hurlburt. The computed monthly volume transport through the Luzon Strait is negative (inflow) all year round with a minimum value of -13.7 Sv in February (strongest intrusion) and a maximum value of -1.4 Sv in September (weakest intrusion). The annual mean transport is -6.5 Sv (intrusion).