A case study of continental shelf waves in the northwestern South China Sea induced by winter storms in 2021

This study aims to investigate characteristics of continental shelf wave(CSW)on the northwestern continental shelf of the South China Sea(SCS)induced by winter storms in 2021.Mooring and cruise observations,tidal gauge data at stations Hong Kong,Zhapo and Qinglan and sea surface wind data from January 1 to February 28,2021 are used to examine the relationship between along-shelf wind and sea level fluctuation.Two events of CSWs driven by the along-shelf sea surface wind are detected from wavelet spectra of tidal gauge data.The signals are triply peaked at periods of 56 h,94 h and 180 h,propagating along the coast with phase speed ranging from 6.9 m/s to18.9 m/s.The dispersion relation shows their property of the Kelvin mode of CSW.We develop a simple method to estimate amplitude of sea surface fluctuation by along-shelf wind.The results are comparable with the observation data,suggesting it is effective.The mode 2 CSWs fits very well with the mooring current velocity data.The results from rare current help to understand wave-current interaction in the northwestern SCS.

Measurement of the current and spectral analysis on the continental shelf in the East China Sea

Direct measurements of current velocity and water temperature were undertaken at the mooring Sta. M (125°29.38' N, 31°49.70' E) on the continental shelf area in the East China Sea in June 1999 by R/V Xiangyanghong 14. The relationship between various time series of oceanic fluctuations is calculated by spectral analysis. The major results are as follows: (1) an average (u,v) of (6.9,-3.0 cm/s) at the 30 m depth is obtained during the 9-day observation, and that at the 45 m depth is (3.7,-1.1 cm/s), i. e., the mean flows are southeastward at both the 30 and 45 m depths;the currents become stronger gradually during the observation period; this may be mainly attributed to the transition of the tidal currents from neap to spring; (2)semidiurnal fluctuation is the most dominant in the current fluctuations, and rotates mainly clockwise; in the next place, there is also diurnal fluctuation;the local inertial period is close to the period of diurnal fluctuation, and an inertial motion is clockwise; thus, local inertial motion combines with diurnal fluctuation, and makes the spectral peaks in clockwise components much higher than those in counterclockwise ones; except for the fluctuations of above main periods, there is also the peak at 3 d period for counterclockwise compo-nents in the upper and lower layers; (3) the calculation of cross spectra between two time series of current velocities at the 30 and 45 m depths shows that both the current fluctuations at the 30 and 45 m depths are much alike, i. e., they are synchro; this shows that the flow field here is rather vertically homogeneous; (4)power spectra of tempera-ture time series at both the 30 and 45 m depths show that the semidiurnal peak is the most predominant, and the second highest peak is the diurnal period; besides spectral peaks at above periods, there are also obvious spectral peaks at 6.8 h and 2 d; (5)plots of temperature time series at 16 , 30 , 35 , 45 and 50 m depths show that the temporal variations of temperature at these depths are synchro, which are like those in the velocity field; temperature records also show a gradual rise in temperature, which are also like those in the velocity field.

PROGRESS OF STUDIES ON THE INTERNAL TIDE GENERATED BY THE PASSAGE OF BAROTROPIC TIDE OVER CONTINENTAL SHELF/SLOPE

Various aspects of studies on internal tides are reviewed .Both beam-like structure and modal structure of internal tides may exist in the ocean . Bottom intensifications are caused by many factors .e.g. upstream blocking , which is the result of nonlinear interaction among waves . The energy may decay very fast so that internal tides are mostly locally generated .Internal tides may have considerable residual currents.In a 3-D frame, numerical study revealed that internal waves may interfere with each other to cause strong motions fer from the generation sources.The mechanism that determines how the lee waves break to form various nonlinear waves such as solitary waves, hydraulic jumps and internal surges or bores remains unclear. Analytic study is difficult , so numerical method may be effective . A radiation condition on the open boundary must be employed. A complete 3-D model may gain interesting result.Study on internal tides in China is limited to field observations and data analysis .

Morphological features of continental shelf margin:Examples from the Pakistan Offshore

This paper describes various morphological features of continental shelf and their present-day analogues both present in surface and subsurface data. Most of the examples are taken from Pakistan Offshore.Identification of subsurface features from wireline logs and seismic data is very significant for the application of facies identification in the field of petroleum geosciences, sequence stratigraphy and sedimentology, which is based on the analysis of various lithological characteristic of facies, as well as their geometrical distributions in the basin.

Contribution of Mountain River Materials to the Continental Shelf off Southeastern Hainan Island Since the Mid-Holocene

The concentrations of rare earth elements(REEs)in the bulk sediment of Core X2,which was collected from southeastern Hainan Island,were analyzed to investigate the relative contributions of various provenance regions since mid-Holocene.The results show that sediments in Core X2 were primarily derived from Hainan Island with lesser amounts from Taiwan and limited input from the Pearl River.Based on the application of quantitative inversion to model the REE data,the average contributions of river materials from southeastern Hainan Island and southwestern Taiwan to the study area were 68%and 32%,respectively.Furthermore,starting at 4.0 kyr BP,the transport of fluvial sediments from Taiwan to the study region increased due to enhanced hydrodynamics in South China Sea(SCS).These results indicate that the contributions of mountain river materials from Hainan Island and Taiwan to the continental shelf of northern SCS are non-negligible.Furthermore,these results demonstrate that mountain rivers can play an important role in the material cycle of continental margins and may feature a greater impact than large river systems in specific continental shelf areas.

Provenance of Sediments Filling a Paleo-Channel that Formed on the Western Yellow Sea Continental Shelf During the Last Glacial Period

Several buried paleo-channels are located on the continental shelf of the western Yellow Sea. Research on the paleochannels is significant for both theoretical studies and practical applications. In this paper, we analyse and discuss the mineralogy of sediments in a core(SYS-0803) recovered from a buried paleo-channel on the continental shelf of the western Yellow Sea. The aim is to determine the provenance of sediments that fill the paleo-channel. The heavy mineral assemblage of sediments in the core consists of schistose minerals, common hornblende, epidote, and ilmenite. The light mineral assemblage consists of plagioclase, quartz, lithic fragments, and K-feldspar. Analysis of the compositional maturity of the sand fraction revealed a quartz/feldspar ratio of < 1. A relatively high percentage of smectite is recorded throughout the entire paleo-channel fill, with the greatest percentage in the middle to lower parts. The detrital mineral assemblage and clay mineral content indicate that the paleo-channel sediments were sourced mainly from the Huanghe River during the last glacial period.

pCO_2 distribution and CO_2 flux on the inner continental shelf of the East China Sea during summer 2011

Measurements ofpH, total alkalinity （TA）, partial pressure of CO2 （pCO2） and air-sea CO2 flux （FCO2） were conducted for the inner continental shelf of the East China Sea （ECS） during August 2011. Variations in pCO2 distribution and FCO2 magnitude during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam （TGD） （2003-2009）, and the potential effects of the TGD on the air-sea CO2 exchange were examined. Results showed that the ECS acts as an overall CO2 sink during summer, with pCO2 ranging from 107 to 585 p.atm and an average FCO2 of -6.39 mmol/（m2·d）. Low pCO2 （〈350 μatm） levels were observed at the central shelf （28°-32°N, 123°-125.5°E） where most CO2-absorption occurred. HighpCO2 （〉420 μatm） levels were found in the Changjiang estuary and Hangzhou Bay which acted as the main CO2 source. A negative relationship between pCO2 and salinity （R2=0.722 0） in the estuary zone indicated the predominant effect of the Changjiang Diluted Water （CDW） on the seawater CO2 system, whereas a positive relationship （R2=0.744 8） in the offshore zone revealed the influence of the Taiwan Current Warm Water （TCWW）. Together with the historical data, our results indicated that the CO2 sink has shown a shift southwest while FC02 exhibited dramatic fluctuation during the construction of the TGD, which is located in the middle reaches of the Changjiang. These variations probably reflect fluctuation in the Changjiang runoff, nutrient import, phytoplankton productivity, and sediment input, which are likely to have been caused by the operations of the TGD. Nevertheless, the potential influence of the TGD on the CO2 flux in the ECS is worthy of further study.

Characteristics and evaluation of Mesozoic source rocks in the southeastern East China Sea continental shelf

Source rocks are the material basis of oil and gas generation and determine the potential resources of exploration blocks and have important research value. This paper studies the lithology, thickness, and geochemistry of Mesozoic source rocks in the southeastern East China Sea continental shelf. The results show that the Mesozoic source rocks are mainly dark mudstone and coal-bearing strata. The total thickness of Lower–Middle Jurassic source rocks ranges from 100 m to 700 m, and that of Lower Cretaceous source rocks ranges from 50 m to 350 m. The overall thickness of Mesozoic source rocks is distributed in the NE direction and their thickness center is located in the Jilong Depression. The Lower–Middle Jurassic source rocks are mainly developed shallow marine dark mudstone and transitional coal measure strata. Those of the Lower Cretaceous are mainly mudstone of a fan delta front. Lower –Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous hydrocarbon source rocks are dominated by type III kerogen, with Lower –Middle Jurassic hydrocarbon source rocks having high organic matter abundance and being medium –good hydrocarbon source rocks, while Lower Cretaceous hydrocarbon source rocks have relatively poor quality. From northwest to southeast, the vitrinite reflectance Ro of Mesozoic source rocks increases gradually. Source rocks in the study area are divided into three types. The first hydrocarbon-generating area is mainly located in the southeastern region of the study area, and the Jilong Depression is the hydrocarbongenerating center. The results of this study can provide a basis for exploration of Mesozoic oil and gas resources in the southeastern East China Sea continental shelf.

Observation of continental shelf wave propagating along the eastern Taiwan Strait during Typhoon Meranti 2016

This study is the fi rst to depict typhoon-induced continental shelf wave(CSW)propagation in the eastern Taiwan Strait(TWS)during the passage of Typhoon Meranti in 2016 using tidal gauge data and along-track satellite altimeter data.The strong amplitude response of sea level oscillations(within the range of 0.30–0.54 m)as a free,barotropic CSW after Meranti,which impacted the TWS,was clearly detected in time and frequency(in bands of 64–81 h)using wavelet and cross-wavelet analyses.The measured group and phase speeds were consistent with the dispersion curves for CSW with the fi rst-mode derived from the cross-shelf sections of the eastern TWS,with the mean speeds reaching 3 and 5.6±0.7 m/s,respectively.Coincidentally,the typhoon-induced sea level anomaly(SLA)was also captured by the satellite altimeter before this CSW entered into the TWS.Using the theoretical cross-shore CSW modes to fi t the SLA data,the results indicated that the fi rst three wave modes can interpret this CSW event appeared in the southern TWS very well,with the fi rst mode being the dominant one.

Application of the Three-Dimensional Shallow Sea and Continental Shelf Mode for Inversion of Undercurrent

Abstract. Due to the incapability of high frequency surface wave radar （HFSWR） to detect undercurrent parameters, a new algorithm is proposed to apply a three-dimensional （3D） nonlinear barotropic shallow sea and continental shelf model in coordinate system to the inversion of undercurrent. The calculation domain of this model is the area detected by HFSWR. Considering the benthal topography of the detected area and the ocean dynamic parameters, such as surface current, wind and wave detected by HFSWR, the relation between surface current and undercurrent is established in this model, Accordingly, the undercurrent parameters of corresponding area are obtained. The inversion results agree with the law of ocean dynamics and reproduce the movement of undercurrent.

Vertical Structure of the Tidal Currents on the Continental Shelf of the East China Sea

The available data on tidal currents spanning periods greater than six months for the continental shelf of the East China Sea (26°30.052′N, 122°35.998′E) were analyzed using several methods. Tidal Current Harmonic Analysis results demonstrated that semi-diurnal tides dominated the current movement. The tidal currents of the principal diurnal and semidiurnal rotated clockwise with depth, with the deflection of the major semi-axes to the right in the upper layer and to the left in the lower layer. The vertical structures of two principal semi-diurnal constituents-M2 and S2-were similar, which indicates that the tidal currents are mainly barotropic in this area. The main features of the variation of the four principal tidal constituents with depth demonstrate that the currents in this region are influenced by the upper and lower boundary layers. Therefore, the tidal constituents of the shallow water are similar. Different vertical modes were calculated based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of the Eastern and Northern components of the tidal currents, with a variance contribution for the zero-order model of at least 90%. The variance contribution of the baroclinic model is minimal, which further reveals a strong barotropic character for the tidal currents of this region.

A TWO-DIMENSIONAL VORTICITY MODEL OF INTERNAL TIDES GENERATED ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF/SLOPE

A two-dimensional spectral-difference mode (with vorticity and density equations) of internal tides isdeveloped for studying the genration and propagration of internal tides generated at the continentalshelf/slope. In general, internal tides propagate seaward in deep sea regions and shoreward on the shelf,and are dissipated rapidly. When the Vaisala frequency decreases vertically, waves may be mostly limited to thecontinental slope region. in deep sea region, motions may have either boam-like structure or modal structure,depending on the stratification strerigth and structure, whereas a modal structure may always exist onthe shelf. Waves show strong bottom intensification on the slope when strong stratification exists on thebottom. The barotropic tidal advection may affed the temporal character of internal tides at thecontinental slope, shelf break and shelf regions. but may have little influence on the energy density and energy flux of internal tides. ln the case of strong stratification, waverforms

Methods and procedures to determine the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles

This paper establishes techniques and methods to determine a variety of boundaries associated with 200 nautical miles beyond the continental shelf. The methods, based on topography, slope and second-deriv- ative profile integrated analysis, are now able to identify automatically the foot of the continental slope （FOS）. By analyzing the sedimentary profile, the points of 1% sediment thickness are recognized. Through the intersection, cut, deletion and mergence calculation of the extrapolated data set of fLxed-point series, the method succeeds in generating automatically the extrapolated boundaries, including the FOS＋60 M line, the 350 M line, and the 2500 m＋100 M line. In addition, based on the automatic analysis of the topographic profile, it can be applied to determine rapidly the points of maximum water depth. Taking the northern Okinawa Trough （OT） as an example, these methods are used to calculate and examine the boundaries in- cluded in the Submission by the People＇s Republic of China Concerning the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical miles in Part of the East China Sea （ECS）; the boundaries thus derived have a solid scientific and rational basis.

Trend and Dynamic Cause of Sediment Particle Size on the Adjacent Continental Shelf of the Yangtze Estuary

Based on the measured data in recent 20 years, the variation trends of the median grain size of the surface sediment, the sand-silt boundary and the mud area on the adjacent continental shelf of the Yangtze Estuary were analyzed in depth, and the effects of natural mechanism and human activities were discussed. The results show that： （1） In recent years （2006-2013）, the median grain size of sediment and the distribution pattern of grouped sediments in the adjacent continental shelf area to the Yangtze Estuary have presented no obvious change compared with those before 2006; （2） The median diameter of the surface sediment in the continental shelf area displayed a coarsening trend with the decrease of sediment discharge from the basin and the drop in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area; （3） In 2004-2007, the sand-silt boundary in the north part （31 ~30＇N） of the continental shelf area presented no significant changes, while that in the south part （31~30＇S） moved inwards; In 2008-2013, both the sand-silt boundaries in the north and south parts of the continental shelf area moved inwards, mainly due to the fact that in the dry season, a relatively enhanced hydrodynamic force of the tides was generated in the Yangtze River, as well as a decreased suspended sediment concentration and a flow along the banks in North Jiangsu; （4） The mud area where the maximum deposition rate is found in the Yangtze Estuary, tends to shrink due to the drop in sediment discharge from the basin, and the decrease in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area and erosion in the delta. Moreover, it tended to shift to the south at the same time because the implement of the training works on the deep-water channel of the North Passage changed the split ratio between the North and South Passages with an increase in the power of the discharged runoff in the South Passage.

The characteristics of warm water inflowing and its temporal and spatial variation on the Prydz Bay continental shelf,Antarctic

Hydrographic observations collected by conductivity-temperature-depth（CTD） and instrumented elephant seals on the Prydz Bay continental shelf during 2012 and 2013 are used to characterize the intrusion of modified circumpolar deep water.As a regular occurrence,modified circumpolar deep water（MCDW） intrudes onto the shelf mainly between 150–300 m layer of 73°–75°E and then turns southeast affected by the cyclonic gyre of the Prydz Bay.The southernmost point of the warm water signal is captured on the east front of Amery Ice Shelf during March 2012.In terms of vertical distribution,MCDW occupies the central layer of 200 m with about 100 m thickness in the austral summer,but when to winter transition,the layer of MCDW deepens with time on the central shelf.

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE CHINA CONTINENTAL SHELF

Determination of the concentrations of. 15 rare earth elements (REE) in China continental shelf sediments by X- ray fluorescent spectral analysis of selected representative sediment samples showed that REE concentration in the sediments is 156 ppm, similar to that in China loess and Fujian granite, but different from that in Pacific sediments. The shelf REE have the characteristic distribution pattern of typical continental crust REE and evidently philo-continental property. The above findings suggest that weathered materials transported from the China continent are the main source of the REE in China continental shelf sediments.Experiments show that REE exist mainly in the crystal lattices of clay minerals ( 【2u) as isomorphs and that REE have close relation with most elements (Al, Ti, K, Rb, Fe, etc.) related with clay minerals, but have negative correlation with the biophile elements Ca and Sr.

Predicting sediment flux from continental shelf islands,southeastern China

Continental shelf islands are contributors of terrestrial sediment supply to shelf regions,and the sediment flux from these islands shall be quantified.We calculated the sediment flux of continental shelf islands in the southeastern China using two empirical equations under two preconditions.The first,the sediment load/yield of the islands has the same pattern as the adjacent small,mountainous rivers along the coastline;and the second,each of the islands was treated as a single catchment.The results show that the sediment supply from these islands reached an order of magnitude of 1 Mt/a,which is comparable to the supply from the local smaller rivers.A sensitivity analysis indicates that this value represents the lower limit of estimate;if the accurate amount of sub-catchments of any island is considered,then this value will be enhanced slightly.This study demonstrates that the sediment supply from continental shelf islands to oceans is an important factor affecting the regional sedimentation and,therefore,should be paid with attention.

Policy and Profit Allocation for the Cooperative Development of Natural Gas Resource on Chinese Offshore Continental Shelf

China has a wide sea waters with their offshore continental shelf covering over 1 million km?.Rich oil-gas resources are lying under the sea waters.In accordance with the conventional international assessment method for oil and gas resources,it is expected that the gas reserve volume in China is approximately 14000 billion cu.m.Particularly,the Yinggehai Basin,Qiongdo-ngnan Basin and Zhushan Depression in the Pearl River Mouth basin of the South China Sea are rapidly subsiding basins with more than 100 million km2 of prospects for exploration,where the geological conditions are favourable for generation of rich natural gas.

The continental shelf wave of the East China Sea and its effect on the Kuroshio

The free shelf wave theory is applied to the practical case of the continental shelf in the East China Sea to analyse the effects of the shelf wave on the Kuroshio. The results indicate that the shelf wave in lower frequency travels from north to south and its phase velocity is proportional to the Kuroshio's current velocity) the maximum current velocity of the Kuroshio lies at the continental margin. The analytical solutions obtained indicate that the hydrodynamic characters of the sea region over the shelf present band structure. The horizontal motion ( x -component) caused by the shelf wave at the margin may be one of the causes for generating wavy pattern of the Kuroshio's axis .

Transport patterns of micro nutrient elements from the continental shelf of the East China Sea to the Kuroshio area

On the basis of the in situ data of DO2, pH, SiO2. PO4-P, NO3-N and NO2-N collected in the north of the East China Sea during 1987-1988, the following points are mainly expounded.1.The inorgonic nutrients are obviously affected by continent runoff in the north of the East China Sea. Their distributions are characteristic of its distribution of terrigenous materials.2.There are three transport paths of nutrients from the shelf to the Kuroshio area. The first is mixing-diffusing-advec-tion and upwelling process, the process of biology and biochemistry belongs to the second, and the sinking process is the last one.3.The swing of the Kuroshio axis affectes both the range of the migration of substances through mixing-diffusing-advec-tion process and the upwelling degree of the subsurface Kuroshio water to the shelf.4.Most part of the substances sink as macroparticles to the deep layer before reaching the Kuroshio area.