Conversion Characteristics between Barotropic and Baroclinic Circulations of the SAH in Its Seasonal Evolution

In the context of 1958–1997 NCEP/ NCAR re-analyses, the South Asia high (SAH) was divided into two components, barotropic and baroclinic, the former based on mass weighed vertical integration and the latter on the difference between the measured circulation and the barotropic component counterpart, whereupon the barotropic and baroclinic circulation conversion features were addressed of the research SAH during its seasonal variation. Evidence suggests that i) in summer (winter), the SAH is a thermal (dynamical) system, with dominant baroclinicity (barotropicity), either of the components accounting for approximately 70% of the total contribution; ii) as time progresses from winter to summer, accompanied by the barotropic SAH evolving into its baroclinic analog, the SAH is moving under the “ thermal guidance” of its baroclinic component circulation, suggesting that the component circulation precedes the system itself in variation; iii) the reversal happens when it goes from summer to winter, with the SAH displacement under the “ dynamic steering” of its barotropic component circulation. Key words SAH (South Asia high) - Barotropic circulation - Baroclinic circulation - Seasonal variation (1)This work is supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China under Grant No.49735170.

A 3-dimensional baroclinic circulation model of the South China Sea

The summer and winter circulations in the South China Sea (SCS) including the surface elevation and water temperature are simulated using the model described by Cai and Li (1996) with the monthly mean wind stress and air temperature field at the 1000 mb level from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts as inputs. The boundary conditions at Bashi Channel and Taiwan Strait are taken from the simulation results of the Kuroshio using the same numerical model with a grid size of 0.5°×0.5° and the results of Cai and Li (1996) as boundary conditions. The computational domain for the present paper is between 100°E and 123°E and between 4.5°N and 27°N. The horizontal resolution is 0.25°×0.25° and the vertical variations of the velocity components are resolved by 6 layers The computed steady flow, temperature and elevation fields are consistent with the corresponding fields observed. In particular, the temperature and elevation fields of the South China Sea Warm Current (SCSWC) have been successfully simulated. The paths of the branch of the Kuroshio entering the South China Sea (SCSBK) through Bashi Channel in winter and summer are discussed It is found that the SCSBK flows southward to the southern SCS from the coast of the Guangdong Province. A portion of the SCSBK returns to the Bashi Channel and subdivides again in deep waters in winter with a branch flows to the south along the coast of the Philippines instead of flowing back to the Pacific In addition, our results confirm the existence of a eastward current to the northeast of Dongsha in summer with the Kuroshio as its source as suggested by Huang et al. Since the value of the eddy viscosity adopted for the simulation of the Kuroshio is on the high side, resulting in a weaker west boundary current in the western Pacific as the boundary conditions for the present simulations, some deviations from the actual situations are expected although the results are in general consistent with observations.

NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE FORMATION OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA WARM CURRENT II. BAROCLINIC CASE

In this part, Levitus’ climatological temperature and salinity are incorporated in the numerical model developed in Part I. Diagnostic and prognostic experiment on the thermohaline circulation were conducted. The smooth Levitus’ data do not include any information on the South China Sea Warm Current (SCSWC), so it is not in the model produced diagnostic thermohaline circulation. Although the SCSWC does not appear in the wind driven circulation in the barotropic case, it appears in the prognostic wind driven circulation in the baroclinic case. This implies that the differing circulation patterns between barotropic case and baroclinic case are due to the stratification. The prognostic thermohaline circulation with wind stress and inflow/outflow transports at open boundaries are also discussed. Coupling of density and dynamic forces makes the circulation pattern more complicated. Even though the stratification is not always a direct cause of the formation of the SCSWC, it is at least an indirect cause.