Argos漂流浮标的若干观测结果

OBSERVATIONS OF ARGOS SATELLITE-TRACKED DRIFTERS

表层漂流浮标是一种利用Argos卫星系统定位与传送数据的海洋观测设备,它可以利用Lagrangian法则连续观测表层海流及表层水温。文章利用近年在南海和西太平洋投放的部分卫星跟踪表层漂流浮标所取得的观测资料,分析观测海域的表层海流特征及其漂移路径上的温度变化,得出以下结果。(1)由浮标的漂移轨迹看出,黑潮表层流路年际变异相当大。(2)2003年1月,黑潮表层水有入侵南海的趋势,似无西北太平洋表层水深入南海的迹象;夏季南海表层水由南海流出经吕宋海峡汇入黑潮主干。(3)秋季台湾东北海区存在一个强反气旋涡,空间尺度约270km。(4)黑潮主干在秋末冬初经过东海时明显呈弯曲流动,并形成许多小尺度的气旋式涡。(5)在九州西南海域,黑潮表层流并无分支北上进入对马暖流区。(6)2003年春季,黑潮在日本以南的弯曲不明显,并伴随有冷、暖涡产生,暖涡的强度和空间尺度都要比冷涡大得多。(7)由漂流浮标观测得到的的表层海水的温度分布明显呈日变化和季节变化的特征。在浮标漂移路径呈反气旋或气旋式转动的区域,表层水温对应出现高或低温区;但出现在台湾以东的低温区则与此时期的台风过境有关。

Argos satellite-tracked drifter is an ocean observing instrument using Argos satellite system for drifter positing and data transmitting. This kind of drifter can observe surface current and sea surface temperature (SST) continuously based on Lagrangian method. In this study, the characteristics of surface current and SST variation along the tracks of the drifters are analyzed using the observational data obtained from some drifters which were deployed in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean in recent years, and some results are obtained as below. (1)The drifter trajectories indicate that the inter-annual variability of the surface path of the Kuroshio is large. (2) In January of 2003, the sea surface water of the Kuroshio had a tendency to intrude into the South China Sea, but no sign to enter the interior of the South China Sea. In summer, the sea surface water in the South China Sea flowed eastward through the Luzon Strait and joined the Kuroshio. (3) In autumn, there was a strong anti-cyclone northeast of Taiwan, with 270km of spatial scale. (4) The Kuroshio flowed crookedly when it passed through the East China Sea in the late of summer and early of autumn, and formed many small cyclones. (5) There was no surface branch of the Kuroshio flowing northward and entering the area of the Tsushima Warm Current, southwest of Kyushu. (6) The Kuroshio bended weekly south of Japan in autumn of 2003, and was accompanied by cold and warm cyclones. The strength and spatiality of warm cyclones was larger than that of cold cyclones. (7) The observed SST distribution demonstrated daily and seasonal changing characteristics. Corresponding to the anti-cyclone or cyclone areas where the drifter passed, the SST showed high or low. But the low temperature area east of Taiwan was related to typhoons passing during this period.