Preliminary analysis of distribution and variation of perennialmonthly mean water masses in the Bohai Sea,the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

On the basis of perennial monthly mean temperature and salinity data, the classification of monthly water masses at the surface and the bottom in the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea, has been made by using the method of fuzzy cluster from the modified characteristic of water masses in the shallow water area. In this paper, the basic features, growth and decline patterns of water masses in relation to fishing grounds in the whole shelves of the Bohai Sea, the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea are discussed with emphasis.

Diagnostic study of the summer thermocline depth in the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

In this paper, the depth of the summer thermocline of the South Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea is calculated with two kinds of one-dimentional models, and the formation reasons are explained for the summer thermocline depth distribution characteristics in the study area. It is proved that in the shelf area of the East China Sea, tidal mixing has an important impact on the thermocline depth. And a new explanation for certain phenomena of the so-called coastal upwelling in the East China Sea is proposed.

Spatial patterns of zooplankton abundance,biovolume,and size structure in response to environmental variables:a case study in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

The Yellow Sea(YS)and East China Sea(ECS)are highly dynamic marginal seas of the northwestern Pacific Ocean.To gain an in-depth understanding of zooplankton community structure,zooplankton abundance,biovolume,and size structure in summer 2017 in the YS and ECS were assessed using ZooScan imaging analysis.Zooplankton abundance and biovolume ranged 2.94–1187.14 inds./m^(3)and 3.13–3438.51 mm^(3)/m^(3),respectively.Based on the biovolume data of the categorized size classes of 26 identified taxonomic groups,the zooplankton community was classified into five groups,and each group was coupled with distinctive oceanographic features.Under the influence of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass,the Yellow Sea offshore group featured the lowest bottom temperature(10.84±3.42℃)and the most abundant Calanoids(mainly in the 2–3 mm size class).In the Yellow Sea inshore group,Hydrozoans showed the largest biovolume and dominated in the 3–4-mm and>5-mm size classes.The East China Sea offshore group,which was affected by the Kuroshio Branch Current,featured high temperature and salinity,and the lowest bottom dissolved oxygen(2.58±0.5 mg/L).The lowest values of zooplankton abundance and biovolume in the East China Sea offshore group might be attributed to the bottom dissolved oxygen contents.The East China Sea inshore group,which was mainly influenced by the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Current and Changjiang Diluted Water,was characterized by high chlorophyll a and the largest biovolume of carnivorous Siphonophores(280.82±303.37 mm^(3)/m^(3)).The Changjiang River estuary offshore group showed the most abundant Cyclopoids,which might be associated with the less turbid water mass in this region.Seawater temperature was considered the most important factor in shaping the size compositions of Calanoids in different groups.

Carbon Storage Dynamics in Lower Shimentan Formation of the Qiantang Sag, East China Sea Shelf Basin: Stratigraphy, Reservoir ‒ Cap Analysis, and Source ‒ Sink Compatibility

Excessive carbon emissions have resulted in the greenhouse effect, causing considerable global climate change. Marine carbon storage has emerged as a crucial approach to addressing climate change. The Qiantang Sag(QTS) in the East China Sea Shelf Basin, characterized by its extensive area, thick sedimentary strata, and optimal depth, presents distinct geological advantages for carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) storage. Focusing on the lower section of the Shimentan Formation in the Upper Cretaceous of the QTS, this study integrates seismic interpretation and drilling data with core and thin-section analysis. We reveal the vertical variation characteristics of the strata by providing a detailed stratigraphic description. We use petrophysical data to reveal the development characteristics of high-quality carbon-storage layers and favorable reservoircaprock combinations, thereby evaluating the geological conditions for CO_(2) storage in various stratigraphic sections. We identify Layer B of the lower Shimentan Formation as the most advantageous stratum for marine CO_(2) storage. Furthermore, we analyze the carbon emission trends in the adjacent Yangtze River Delta region. Considering the characteristics of the source and sink areas, we suggest a strong correlation between the carbon emission sources of the Yangtze River Delta and the CO_(2) storage area of the QTS, making the latter a priority area for conducting experiments on marine CO_(2) storage.

Spatio-temporal variability of surface chlorophyll a in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea based on reconstructions of satellite data of 2001-2020

Chlorophyll-a(Chl-a)concentration is a primary indicator for marine environmental monitoring.The spatio-temporal variations of sea surface Chl-a concentration in the Yellow Sea(YS)and the East China Sea(ECS)in 2001-2020 were investigated by reconstructing the MODIS Level 3 products with the data interpolation empirical orthogonal function(DINEOF)method.The reconstructed results by interpolating the combined MODIS daily+8-day datasets were found better than those merely by interpolating daily or 8-day data.Chl-a concentration in the YS and the ECS reached its maximum in spring,with blooms occurring,decreased in summer and autumn,and increased in late autumn and early winter.By performing empirical orthogonal function(EOF)decomposition of the reconstructed data fields and correlation analysis with several potential environmental factors,we found that the sea surface temperature(SST)plays a significant role in the seasonal variation of Chl a,especially during spring and summer.The increase of SST in spring and the upper-layer nutrients mixed up during the last winter might favor the occurrence of spring blooms.The high sea surface temperature(SST)throughout the summer would strengthen the vertical stratification and prevent nutrients supply from deep water,resulting in low surface Chl-a concentrations.The sea surface Chl-a concentration in the YS was found decreased significantly from 2012 to 2020,which was possibly related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO).

Sedimentary systems of the Oligocene Huagang Formation in the central anticline zone of the Xihu Depression,East China Sea Shelf Basin

The Xihu Depression is the largest hydrocarbon-bearing depression of the East China Sea Shelf Basin(also referred to as the ECSSB).However,the depositional systems and reservoir distribution of the Oligocene Huagang Formation in the Xihu Depression are still controversial.Under the guidance of sedimentology and stratigraphy,this study documented a marine-terrestrial transitional environment in the restricted bay setting of the Oligocene Huagang Formation through core description,well logging,and seismic data analysis.This study also revealed that the Oligocene Huagang Formation is dominated by tidal delta,estuary,and gravity flow deposits in the central anticline zone of the Xihu Depression.The new understanding of the sedimentary systems and the discovery of the transgressive gap in the eastern Diaoyu Islands uplift explain the origin of fine-grained sediments and the EW-trending sand bodies in the central depression and the sand bodies parallel to shoreline in the west slope belt,which cannot be explained by previous study results,such as southern transgression or fluvial deltas and even lacustrine deposition.Moreover,the tidal channels,tidal sand flats,and gravity flow sand bodies formed by the transgressive tides are high-quality reservoirs.The study will provide a basis for well placement and serve as guidance for the selection of favorable hydrocarbon exploration areas in the Xihu Depression.

Simulation of the distribution,growth,and survival rate of chub mackerel larvae and juveniles in the East China Sea

In the East China Sea(ECS),chub mackerel Scomber japonicus constitutes an important coastal-pelagic fishery resource that is mainly exploited by Chinese,Japanese,and Korean light-purse seine fisheries.Because the early life history of chub mackerel plays a significant role in its recruitment,we developed an individual-based model to study the distribution,growth,and survival rate of chub mackerel larvae and juveniles in the ECS to improve our understanding of the chub mackerel population structure and recruitment.Our results show that as body length rapidly increases,the swimming capacity of chub mackerel larvae and juveniles improves quickly,and their spatial distribution depends more on their habitat conditions than the ocean currents.Correspondingly,the juveniles from the central and southern ECS spawning ground are scarcely recruited into the Japan/East Sea(JES)or the western Pacific Ocean,but a significant proportion of juveniles from the northern ECS spawning ground still enter the JES and there are exchanges between the stocks in the ECS and JES.Thus,it seems more reasonable to assess and manage the chub mackerels in the ECS and JES as a stock.The water temperature and ocean primary production in the ECS are two important factors influencing the chub mackerel habitat conditions and their spatial and temporal distribution are significantly different as the spawning time changes.Therefore,the spawning time and location play an important role in the growth and survival rate of the larvae and juveniles.Generally,when chub mackerel spawns at the southern ECS spawning ground in March,the larva and juvenile growth and survival rate is relatively high;as spawning time moves forward,higher growth and survival rates would be expected for the chub mackerel spawned coastward or northward.For specific spawning sites,early or delayed spawning will reduce the survival rate.

Organic Carbon Deposition on the Inner Shelf of the East China Sea Constrained by Sea Level and Climatic Changes Since the Last Deglaciation

The East China Sea(ECS),which is located in the transitional zone between land and ocean,is the main site for the burial of sedimentary organic carbon.Despite good constraints of the modern source to the sinking process of organic carbon,its fate in response to changes in climate and sea level since the last deglaciation remains poorly understood.We aim to fill this gap by presenting a high-resolution sedimentary record of core EC2005 to derive a better understanding of the evolution of the depositional environment and its control on the organic deposition since 17.3 kyr.Our results suggest that sedimentary organic carbon was deposited in a terrestrial environment before the seawater reached the study area around 13.1 kyr.This significant transition from a terrestrial environment to a marine environment is reflected by the decrease in TOC/TN and TOC/TS ratios,which is attributed to deglacial sea level rise.The sea level continued to rise until it reached its highstand at approximately 7.3 kyr when the mud depocenter was developed.Our results further indicate that the deposition of the sedimentary organic carbon could respond quickly to abrupt cold events,including the Heinrich stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas during the last deglaciation,as well as‘Bond events'during the Holocene.We propose that the rapid response of the organic deposition to those cold events in the northern hemisphere is linked to the East Asian winter monsoon.These new findings demonstrate that organic carbon deposition and burial on the inner shelf could effectively document sea level and climatic changes.

Early Cenozoic paleontological assemblages and provenance evolution of the Lishui Sag,East China Sea

The East China Sea Shelf Basin generated a series of back-arc basins with thick successions of marine-and terrestrial-facies sediments during Cenozoic.It is enriched with abundant oil and gas resources and is of great significance to the petroleum exploration undertakings.Therein,the Lishui Sag formed fan delta,fluvial delta and littoral-to-neritic facies sediments during Paleocene–Eocene,and the research on its sedimentary environment and sediment source was controversial.This study analyzed the paleontological combination characteristics,and conducted a source-to-sink comparative analysis to restore the sedimentary environment and provenance evolution of the Lishui Sag during Paleocene–Eocene based on the integration of detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra patterns with paleontological assemblages.The results indicated that Lishui Sag was dominated by littoral and neritic-facies environment during time corroborated by large abundance of foraminifera,calcareous nannofossils and dinoflagellates.Chronological analysis of detrital zircon U-Pb revealed that there were significant differences in sediment sources between the east and west area of the Lishui Sag.The western area was featured by deeper water depths in the Paleocene–Eocene,and the sediment was characterized by a single Yanshanian peak of zircon U-Pb age spectra,and mainly influenced from Yanshanian magmatic rocks of South China Coast and the surrounding paleo-uplifts.However,its eastern area partly showed Indosinian populations.In particular,the upper Eocene Wenzhou sediments were featured by increasingly plentiful Precambrian zircons in addition to the large Indosinian-Yanshanian peaks,indicating a possible impact from the Yushan Low Uplift to the east.Therefore,it is likely that the eastern Lishui Sag generated large river systems as well as deltas during time.Due to the Yuquan Movement,the Lishui Sag experienced uplifting and exhumation in the late stage of the late Eocene and was not deposited with sediments until Miocene.Featured by transitional-facies depositions of Paleocene–Eocene,the Lishui Sag thus beared significant potential for source rock and oil-gas reservoir accumulation.

Clay minerals and elemental composition of sediments on different sedimentary units in the northern East China Sea shelf:provenance tracing and genetic mechanism analysis

The composition,provenance,and genetic mechanism of sediment on different sedimentary units of the East China Sea(ECS)shelf are essential for understanding the depositional dynamics environment in the ECS.The sediments in the northern ECS shelf are distributed in a ring-shaped distribution centered on the southwestern Cheju Island Mud.From the inside to the outside,the grain size goes from fine to coarse.Aside from the“grain size effect”,hydrodynamic sorting and mineral composition are important restrictions on the content of rare earth elements(REEs).Based on the grain size,REEs,and clay mineral composition of 300 surface sediments,as well as the sedimentary genesis,the northern ECS shelf is divided into three geochemical zones:southwestern Cheju Island Mud Area(ZoneⅠ),Changjiang Shoal Sand Ridges(ZoneⅡ-1),Sand Ridges of the East China Sea shelf(ZoneⅡ-2).The northern ECS shelf is mostly impacted by Chinese mainland rivers(the Changjiang River and Huanghe River),and the provenance and transport mechanism of sediments of different grain sizes is diverse.The bulk sediments come primarily from the Changjiang River,with some material from the Huanghe River carried by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current and the North Jiangsu Coastal Current,and less from Korean rivers.Among them,surface sediments in the southwestern Cheju Island Mud Area(ZoneⅠ)come mostly from the Changjiang River and partly from the Huanghe River.It was formed by the counterclockwise rotating cold eddies in the northern ECS shelf,which caused the sedimentation and accumulation of the fine-grained sediments of the Changjiang River and the Huanghe River.The Changjiang Shoal Sand Ridges(ZoneⅡ-1)were developed during the early-middle Holocene sea-level highstand.It is the modern tidal sand ridge sediment formed by intense hydrodynamic action under the influence of the Yellow Sea Coastal Current,North Jiangsu Coastal Current,and Changjiang Diluted Water.The surface sediments mainly originate from the Changjiang River and Huanghe River,with the Changjiang River dominating,and the Korean River(Hanjiang River)influencing just a few stations.Sand Ridges of the East China Sea shelf(ZoneⅡ-2)are the relict sediments of the paleo-Changjiang River created by sea invasion at the end of the Last Deglaciation in the Epipleistocene.The clay mineral composition of the surface sediments in the study area is just dominated by the Changjiang River,with the North Jiangsu Coastal Current and the Changjiang Diluted Water as the main transporting currents.

Origin of hydrocarbon fluids and discussion of abnormal carbon isotopic compositions in the Lishui-Jiaojiang Sag,East China Sea Shelf Basin

The hydrocarbon gases in the L1 gas field of the Lishui-Jiaojiang Sag have been commonly interpreted to be an accumulation of pure sapropelic-type thermogenic gas.In this study,chemical components,stable isotopic compositions,and light hydrocarbons were utilized to shed light on the origins of the hydrocarbon fluids in the L1gas pool.The hydrocarbon fluids in the L1 gas pool are proposed to be a mixture of three unique components:mid-maturity oil from the middle Paleocene coastal marine Lingfeng source rock,oil-associated(late oil window)gas generated from the lower Paleocene lacustrine Yueguifeng source rock,and primary microbial gas from the paralic deposits of the upper Paleocene Mingyuefeng source rock.Here,for the first time,the hydrocarbon gases in the L1 gas pool are diagnosed as mixed oil-associated sapropelic-type gas and microbial gas via four pieces of principal evidence:(1)The abnormal carbon isotopic distributions of all methane homologues from C_(1)(CH_(4)or methane)to C_(5)(C_(5)H_(12)or pentane)shown in the Chung plot;(2)the diagnostic~(13)C-depleted C_(1)compared with the thermogenic sapropelic-type gas model,whileδ^(13)C_(2)(C_(2)H_(6)or ethane)andδ^(13)C_(3)(C_(3)H_(8)or propane)both fit perfectly;(3)the excellent agreement of the calculated carbon isotopic compositions of the pure thermogenic gas with the results of the thermal simulated gas from the type-II1 kerogen-rich Yueguifeng source rock;and(4)the oil-associated gas inferred from various binary genetic diagrams with an abnormally elevated gas oil ratio.Overall,the natural gases of the L1 gas pool were quantified in this study to comprise approximately 13%microbial gas,nearly 48%oil-associated sapropelic-type gas,and 39%of nonhydrocarbon gas.The microbial gas is interpreted to have been codeposited and entrained in the humic-kerogen-rich Mingyuefeng Formation under favorable lowtemperature conditions during the late Paleocene-middle Eocene.The microbial gas subsequently leaked into the structurally and stratigraphically complex L1 trap with oil-associated sapropelic-type gas from the Yueguifeng source rock during the late Eocene-Oligocene uplifting event.A small amount of humic-kerogen-generated oil in the L1 gas pool is most likely to be derived from the underlying Lingfeng source rock.The detailed geological and geochemical considerations of source rocks are discussed to explain the accumulation history of hydrocarbon fluids in the L1 gas pool.This paper,therefore,represents an effort to increase the awareness of the pitfalls of various genetic diagrams,and an integrated geochemical and geological approach is required for hydrocarbonsource correlation.

New interpretation on the provenance changes of the upper Pinghu–lower Huagang Formation within Xihu Depression,East China Sea Shelf Basin

Both Pinghu and Huagang formations are important hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Xihu Depression in the East China Sea Shelf Basin.Clarifying the source suppliers and restoring source-to-sink transport routes are of great significance to the future petroleum and gas undertakings.Previous researchers were largely confined by either limitation of geological records,highly dependence on a singular method or low-precision dating techniques.Our study integrated heavy mineral assemblages,geochemical analyses and detrital zircon U-Pb dating to reconstruct multiple source-to-sink pathways,and to provide a better understanding on the provenance evolution for the upper Pinghu–lower Huagang depositions of the Xihu Depression.At least three major provenances have been confirmed and systematically investigated for their separate compositional features.The Hupijiao Uplift(or even farther northern area)was dominated by a major Paleoproterozoic population peaked at ca.1830 Ma along with minor Mesozoic clusters.The Haijiao Uplift to the west and the Yushan Low Uplift to the southwest,on the other hand,generate opposite U-Pb age spectra with apparently larger peaks of Indosinian and Yanshanian-aged zircons.To be noted,both Indosinian and Paleoproterozoic peaks are almost identical in proportion for the Haijiao Uplift.The overall sedimentary pattern of late Eocene-early Oligocene was featured by both spatial and temporal distinction.The Hupijiao Uplift was likely to cast limited impact during the late Eocene,whereas the broad southern Xihu Depression was transported by a large abundance of materials from the nearby Haijiao and Yushan Low Uplifts.The northern source substantially extended its influence to the farther south during the early Oligocene by delivering plentiful sediments of higher-degree metamorphic parent rocks.Combined with the proximal western and southwestern suppliers,the overall Xihu Depression was under control from both distant and local provenances.

Study on interaction between the coastal water, shelf water and Kuroshio water in the Huanghai Sea and East China Sea

The main processes of interaction between the coastal water, shelf water and Kuroshio water in the Huanghai Sea (HS) and East China Sea (ECS) are analyzed based on the observation and study results in recent years. These processes include the intrusion of the Kuroshio water into the shelf area of the ECS, the entrainment of the shelf water into the Kuroshio, the seasonal process in the southern shelf area of the ECS controlled alternatively by the Taiwan Strait water and the Kuroshio water intruding into the shelf area, the interaction between the Kuroshio branch water, shelf mixed water and modified coastal water in the northeastern ECS, the water-exchange between the HS and ECS and the spread of the Changjiang diluted water.

Spatial and temporal variations of macro-and mesozoo-plankton community in the Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea) and East China Sea in summer and winter

The study was conducted during two cruises of June–August 2006 （summer）,and January–February 2007 （winter） in the Huanghai （Yellow） Sea and East China Sea.Spatial and temporal variations of zooplankton abundance,biomass and community structure and its relation to currents and water masses over the continental shelf were examined.A total of 584 zooplankton species/taxa and 28 planktonic larvae were identified during the two surveys.Copepods were the most abundant component among these identified groups.Zooplankton abundance and biomass fluctuated widely and showed distinct heterogeneity in the shelf waters.Five zooplankton assemblages were identified with hierarchical cluster analysis during this study,and they were Huanghai Sea Assemblage,Changjiang Estuary Assemblage,Coastal Assemblage,East China Sea Mixed-water Assemblage and East China Sea Offshore Assemblage.Seasonal changes of zooplankton community composition and its geographical distribution were detected,and the locations of the faunistic areas overlap quite well with water masses and current systems.So we suggest that the zooplankton community structure and its changes were determined by the water masses in the Huanghai Sea and East China Sea.The results of this research can provide fundamental information for the long-term monitoring of zooplankton ecology in the shelf of Huanghai Sea and East China Sea.

Variability of the circulation in the southern Huanghai Sea and East China Sea during the two investigative cruises in June 1999

On the basis of the hydrographic data obtained from June 17 to 25, 1999 on board R/V Eardo , Korea (hereafter'the second cruise'), the circulation in the southern Huanghai Sea and East China Sea is computed by using the modified inverse method. The comparison between the two computed results in the first cruise, which was carried out from June 4 to 19, 1999 on board R/V Xiangyanghong 14, China, and in the second cruise is made. The following results have been obtained. (1) Part of the Kuroshio flows northward through the eastern part of Section E, and its volume transport(VT) is about 6.2×106 m3/s,and its maximum velocity is about 93 cm/s.This shows that most of the Kuroshio flows northward through the region east of Section E.The VT of the offshore branch of Taiwan Warm Current west of the Kuroshio through Section E is about 0.4×106 m3/s. (2) There is the following variability between these two cruises, whose time difference is about two weeks:① The position of the Kuroshio in the second cruise is slightly more east than that in the first cruise; ②The high-density water (HDW) with a cold water occurs in the region south of Cheju Island between 125°30' and 127°E at Sections D and C. The circulation in the region of HDW is cyclonic. Comparing the position of HDW during the second cruise with that during the first cruise,it is found that its position in the second cruise moves slightly northward.(3) The cold and uniform mixing layer occurs in the layer from the 30 m level to the bottom of the middle part of Section A and in the layer from the 20 m level to the bottom of the middle part of Section B,respectively.They are both the southern part of the Huanghai Sea Cold Water Mass (HSCWM). (4) There are higher temperature and lower density with a weaker anticyclonic circulation in the southwestern part of the computed region.Its center is located at the westernmost point of Section E.

Application of biologic silicon in modern sedimentary section to reconstruction of phytoplankton changes in the East China Sea and the Huanghai Sea during last 200 years

Biomarkers had been widely used to reconstruct phytoplankton productivity, and this method was applied in the East China Sea and the Huanghai Sea （Yellow Sea）. In this study, Biologic Silicon （BSi） was used as productivity proxy to reconstruct productivity change of phytoplankton during last 200 years. The results show that the BSi contents of surficial＇sediments were in the range of 0.018%-2.516%, averaging 0.726%, and had a similar variation trend with phytoplankton biomass. The vertical distribution profiles revealed that BSi contents were relatively stable, in accordance with the variations of the contemporary phytoplankton standing crop index. According to the stability analysis of BSi in sediments, BSi was not degradaded for the past two hundred years and remained in sediments steadily. Thus, BSi in sediments had the potential to invert paleoproductivity. To conduct further survey, the linear regression equation between BSi contents and phytoplankton biomass index could be used to calculate the phytoplankton productivity by BSi, so that paleoproduetivity may be reconstructed during last 200 years.

Thermal fronts and cross-frontal heat flux in the southern Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea

Synoptic features in/around thermal fronts and cross-frontal heat fluxes in the southern Huanghai./Yellow Sea and East China Sea （HES） were examined using the data collected from four airborne expendable bathythermograph surveys with horizontal approxmately 35 km and vertical 1 m（from the surface to 400 m deep） spacings. Since the fronts are strongly affected by HES current system, the synoptic thermal features in/around them represent the interaction of currents with surrounding water masses. These features can not be obtained from climatological data. The identified thermal features are listed as follows ： （ 1 ） multiple boundaries of cold water, asymmetric thermocline intrusion, locally-split front by homogeneous water of approxmately 18 ℃, and mergence of the front by the Taiwan Warm Current in/around summertime southern Cheju - Changjiang/Yangtze front and Tsushima front; （2） springtime frontal eddy-like feature around Tsushima front; （3） year-round cyclonic meandering and summertime temperature-inversion at the bottom of the surface mixed layer in Cheju - Tsushima front; and （4） multistructure of Kuroshio front. In the Kuroshio front the mean variance of vertical temperature gradient is an order of degree smaller than that in other HES fronts. The southern Cheju- Changjiang front and Cheju -Tsushima front are connected with each other in the summer with comparable cross-frontal temperature gradient. However, cross-frontal heat flux and lateral eddy diffusivity are stronger in the southern Cheju - Changjiang front. The cross-frontal heat exchange is the largest in the mixing zone between the modified Huanghai Sea bottom cold water and the Tsushima Warm Current, which is attributable to enhanced thermocline intrusions.

The circulation in the southern Huanghai Sea and northern East China Sea in June 1999

On the basis of hydrographic data and current measurement (the mooring system, vessel-mounted ADCP and toward ADCP) data obtained in June 1999, the circulations in the southern Huanghai Sea (HS) and northern East China Sea (ECS) are computed by using the modified inverse method. The Kuroshio flows northeastward through eastern part of the investigated region and has the main core at Section PN, a northward flow at the easternmost part of Section PN, a weaker anti-cyclonic eddy between these two northward flows, and a weak cyclonic eddy at the western part of Section PN. The above current structure is one type of the current structures at Section PN in ECS. The net northward volume transport (VT) of the Kuroshio and the offshore branch of Taiwan Warm Current (TWCOB) through Section PN is about 26.2 x 10(6) m(3)/s in June 1999. The VT of the inshore branch of Taiwan Warm Current (TWCIB) through the investigated region is about 0.4 x 10(6) m(3)/s. The Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) has much effect on the currents over the continental shelf. The Huanghai Sea Coastal Current (HSCC) flows southeastward and enters into the northwestern part of investigated region, and flows to turn cyclonically, and then it flows northeastward, due to the influences of the Taiwan Warm Current and topography. There is a cyclonic eddy south of Cheju Island where the Huanghai Sea Coastal Current flows to turn cyclonically. It has the feature of high dense and cold water. The uniform and cold water is occurred in the layer from about 30 m level to the bottom between Stations C306 and C311 at the northernmost Section C3. It is a southern part of the Huanghai Sea Cold Water Mass (HSCWM).

Tide-Induced Mixing in the Bottom Boundary Layer in the Western East China Sea

The East China Sea(ECS)boasts a vast continental shelf,where strong tidal motions play an important role in the substance transport and energy budget.In this study,the tide-induced mixing in the bottom boundary layer in the western ECS is analyzed based on records measured by moored acoustic Doppler current profilers from June to October 2014.Results show that the M_(2) tide is strong and shows a barotropic feature,whereas the O_(1) tide is much weaker.Based on the M_(2) tidal currents,the eddy viscosity in the bottom Ekman boundary layer is estimated with three schemes.The estimated eddy viscosity values vary within 10^(-4)–10^(-2)m^(2) s^(−1),reaching a maximum at approximately 5 m height from the bottom and decreasing exponentially with the height at all three stations.Moreover,the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy is calculated to quantify the mixing induced by different tidal constituents.The results show that the shear production of the M_(2) tide is much stronger than that of the O_(1) tide and shows a bottom intensified feature.

Physical processes determining the distribution patterns of Nemopilema nomurai in the East China Sea

The giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai is the largest and most dangerous jellyfish species in East Asian waters,and the N.nomurai bloom causes serious problem in coastal industries,fisheries,and tourism.In the previous surveys,we found N.nomurai could not be observed in the south of 30°N.In this paper,we analyzed the mechanism of this phenomenon.After exploring the possible impacts of different environmental factors,we found that physical processes are essential to the distribution pattern of N.nomurai rather than biological or chemical factors in the East China Sea.The combination of the location of the initial breeding places of N.nomurai and the current system determine the distribution pattern.This study could provide important insights to the potential control of the giant jellyfish in the Chinese coastal waters.