Seasonal Variability of the Yellow Sea/East China Sea Surface Fluxes and Thermohaline Structure

We use the U.S. Navy's Master Oceanographic Observation Data Set (MOODS) forthe Yellow Sea/ East China Sea (YES) to investigate the climatological water mass features and theseasonal and non-seasonal variabilities of the thermohaline structure, and use the ComprehensiveOcean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) from 1945 to 1989 to investigate the linkage between the fluxes(momentum, heat, and moisture) across the air-ocean interface and the formation of the water massfeatures. After examining the major current systems and considering the local bathymetry and watermass properties, we divide YES into five regions: East China Sea (ECS) shelf, Yellow Sea (YS) Basin,Cheju bifurcation (CB) zone, Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) region, Kuroshio Current (KC) region. Thelong term mean surface heat balance corresponds to a heat loss of 30 W m^(-2) in the ESC and CBregions, a heat loss of 65 W m^(-2) in the KC and TWC regions, and a heat gain of 15 W m^(-2) in theYS region. The surface freshwater balance is defined by precipitation minus evaporation. The annualwater loss from the surface for the five subareas ranges from 1.8 to 4 cm month^(-1). The freshwater loss from the surface should be compensated for from the river run-off. The entire watercolumn of the shelf region (ECS, YS, and CB) undergoes an evident seasonal thermal cycle withmaximum values of temperature during summer and maximum mixed layer depths during winter. However,only the surface waters of the TWC and KC regions exhibit a seasonal thermal cycle.. We also foundtwo different relations between surface salinity and the Yangtze River run-off, namely, out-of-phasein the East China Sea shelf and in-phase in the Yellow Sea. This may confirm an earlier study thatthe summer fresh water discharge from the Yangtze River forms a relatively shallow, low salinityplume-like structure extending offshore on average towards the northeast.

Seasonal variability in the thermohaline structure of the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Using the 28℃ isotherm to define the Western Pacific Warm Pool （WPWP）, this study analyzes the seasonal variability of the WPWP thermohaline structure on the basis of the monthly-averaged sea temperature and salinity data from 1950 to 2011, and the dynamic and thermodynamic mechanisms based on the monthly-averaged wind, precipitation, net heat fluxes and current velocity data. A△T=-0.4℃ is more suitable than other temperature criterion for determining the mixed layer （ML） and barrier layer （BL） over the WPWP using monthly-averaged temperature and salinity data. The WPWP has a particular thermohaline structure and can be vertically divided into three layers, i.e., the ML, BL, and deep layer （DL）. The BL thickness （BLT） is the thickest, while the ML thickness （MLT） is the thinnest. The MLT has a similar seasonal variation to the DL thickness （DLT） and BLT. They are all thicker in spring and fall but thinner in summer. The temperatures of the ML and BL are both higher in spring and autumn but lower in winter and summer with an annual amplitude of 0.15℃, while the temperature of the DL is higher in May and lower in August. The averaged salinities at these three layers are all higher in March but lower in September, with annual ranges of 0.41-0.45. Zonal currents, i.e., the South Equatorial Current （SEC） and North Equatorial Counter Current （NECC）, and winds may be the main dynamic factors driving the seasonal variability in the WPWP thermohaline structure, while precipitation and net heat fluxes are both important thermodynamic factors. Higher （lower） winds cause both the MLT and BLT to thicken （thin）, a stronger （weaker） NECC induces MLT, BLT, and DLT to thin （thicken）, and a stronger （weaker） SEC causes both the MLT and BLT to thicken （thin） and the DLT to thin （thicken）. An increase （decrease） in the net heat fluxes causes the MLT and BLT to thicken （thin） but the DLT to thin （thicken）, while a stronger （weaker） precipitation favors thinner （thicker） MLT but thicker （thinner） BLT and DLT. In addition, a stronger （weaker） NECC and SEC cause the temperature of the three layers to decrease （increase）, while the seasonal variability in salinity at the ML, BL, and DL might be controlled by the subtropical cell （STC）.

Interannual variability in the Mindanao Eddy and its impact on thermohaline structure pattern

The major feature, interannual variability and variation cause of the Mindanao Eddy and its im- pact on the thermohaline structure are analyzed based on the Argo profiling float data, the history observed data and the SODA data. The analysis results show that the Mindanao Eddy is a per- manent cyclonic meso-scale eddy and spreads vertically from about 500 m depth upward do about 50 m depth. In addition to its strong seasonal variability, the Mindanao Eddy displays a remark- able interannual variability associated with ENSO. It strengthens and expands eastward during E1 Nifio while it weakens and retreats westward during La Nifia. The interannual variability in the Mindanao Eddy may be caused by the North Equatorial Counter Current, the North Equatorial Current, the Mindanao Current and the Indonesian Through Flow. The eddy variability can have a great influence on the thermohaline structure pattern in the local upper ocean. When the eddy is strong, the cold and low salinity water inside the eddy moves violently upward from deep layer, the thermoeline depth greatly shoals, and the subsurface high salinity water largely decreases ,with the upper mixed layer becoming thinner, and vice versa.

Thermohaline structure inhomogeneity associated with polynia at the northern margin of Emery Ice-shelf

Based on the hydrographic data in austral summer during the 22nd Antarctic Expedition of China(2005/2006),some features can be found about the northern margin of Emery ice shelf as follows.The heat content in the surface layer(0-50 m) at the eastern end and the western end of the ice-shelf margin is much higher than that at the middle.The upper mixing-layer depth and the seasonal thermocline depth at the middle of the ice-shelf northern margin are much shallower than those at the both ends.However there is much less difference between the middle and the ends in the bottom layer.The remote sensing photos show that the inhomogeneity in the surface-layer water is closely related to the spatial distribution of the floes and polynia in the area.

The South China Sea thermohaline structure and circulation

In this study, we used the Navy' s Master Oceanographic Observation Data Set(MOODS), consisting of 116019 temperature and 9617 salinity profiles, during 1968-1984 to investigate the temporal and spatial variabilities of South China Sea thermohaline structures and circulation. For temperature, profiles were binned into 204 monthly data sets from 1968 to 1984 (17 years). For salinity, profiles were binned into 12 climatological monthly data sets due to the data paucity. A two-scale optimal interpolation method was used to establish a three-dimensional monthly-varying gridded data set from MOODS, covering the area of 5°-25°N and 105° - 125°E and the depth from the surface to 400 m. After the gridded data set had been established, both composite analysis and the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis (for temperature only) were used to identify the major thermohaline fratures including annual mean, monthly anomalies, and interannual thermal variabilities. The inverted monthly circulation pattern using the P - vector method is also discussed.

Three-Dimensional Climatological Structures of the Arabian Sea Eddies and Eddy-Induced Flux

This study explores the spatial structure and transport characteristics of eddies in the Arabian Sea(AS)using Argo profiles and satellite measurements.The majority of eddies occur in the northern AS,especially along its northeastern boundary.In contrast,the western AS had a relatively higher eddy kinetic energy compared to the eastern part.Particularly,the strongest energetic eddies were present in the Somali Current system.The composite results revealed the evident thermohaline anomalies caused by cyclonic eddies(CEs)and anticyclonic eddies(AEs)in the upper 300m layers.The anomalous temperature structure within CEs and AEs showed a dominant dipole structure in the near-surface layer and a monopole structure below,with maximum temperature anomalies of approximately−0.8℃and+1.0℃located at depths of 100–150m,respectively.The composited salinity structures for CEs and AEs exhibited monopole vertical structures and sandwich-like patterns.For AEs,large positive salinity anomalies occurred at subsurface layers of 60–180 m with a peak value of about 0.07,and weak negative values were observed above 60m and below 180 m.A similar vertical structure but with an opposite sign operates for CEs.The composited CE and AE caused an equatorward salt flux with values of−8.1×10^(4)and−2.2×10^(4)kg s^(−1),respectively.CEs caused an equatorward heat flux of−7.7×10^(11)W,and AEs induced a poleward flux of 1.5×1011 W.

Statistical characteristics and thermohaline properties of mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal

The statistical characteristics and vertical thermohaline properties of mesoscale eddies in the Bay of Bengal are studied from the view of satellite altimetry data and Argo profiles.Eddy propagation preferences in different lifetimes,eddy evolution process,and geographical distribution of eddy kinetic properties are analyzed in this area.Eddies exist principally in the western Bay of Bengal,and most of them propagate westward.There is a clear southward(equatorward)preference for eddies with long lifetimes,especially for cyclones.Moreover,the eddies in different areas of the bay show different north-southward preferences.Evolution of eddy kinetic properties with lifetime shows that eddies have the significant three-stage feature:the growth period in the former one-fifth lifetime,the stable period in the middle two-fifth to four-fifth lifetime,and the dying period in the last one-fifth lifetime.Large-amplitude and high-intensity eddies occur only in the relatively confined regions of highly unstable currents,such as the East Indian Coastal Current and eastern Sri Lanka.Based on Argo profile data and climatology data,the eddy synthesis method was used to construct three-dimensional temperature and salt structures of eddies in this area.The mean temperature anomaly is negative/positive to the cyclonic/anticyclonic eddies in the upper 300×10^(4)Pa,and below this depth,the anomaly becomes weak.The salinity structures of positive anomalies inside cyclonic eddies and negative anomalies inside anticyclonic eddies in the Bay of Bengal are not consistent with other regions.Due to the special characteristics of the water mass in the bay,especially under the control of the low-salinity Bay of Bengal water at the surface and the Indian equatorial water in the deep ocean,the salinity of seawater shows a monotonic increase with depth.For regional varieties of temperature and salinity structures,as the eddies move westward,the temperature anomaly induced by the eddies increases,the effecting depth of the eddies deepens,and the salinity structures are more affected by inflows.In the north-south direction,the salinity structures of the eddies are associated with the local water masses,which comprise lowsalinity water in the northern bay due to the inflow of freshwater from rivers and salty water in the southern bay due to the invasion of Arabian Sea high-salinity water from the north Indian Ocean.

Summery Intra-Tidal Variations of Suspended Sediment Transportation–Topographical Response and Dynamical Mechanism in the Aoshan Bay and Surrounding Area,Shandong Peninsula

As the second largest bay in Qingdao,the Aoshan Bay and its adjacent sea area play an important role in aquaculture development and urban land and sea coordination for the eastern gulf type of city in the Qingdao Blue Silicon Valley Core Area(QBSVCA).Based on in-situ sedimentary dynamical observation and previous research results,the thermohaline structure,the transportation of suspended sediment and its mechanism,and the coastal geomorphic response were elaborated and analyzed in detail in this paper.The result indicated that the thermohaline and density distribution have obvious intra-tidal characteristics in the QBSVCA and the adjacent waters of the islands,during summer neap tide stage.The development of the bottom high suspended sediment concentration(SSC)layer was slightly enhanced in flood slack at each of the four stations.Suspended sediment transportation near the QBSVCA is related closely with the vertical mixing-stratification mechanism.Combined with previous research results,this study once again showed that submarine topography and the grain size of sea bed sediments would respond to hydrodynamic forces.The medians of the bottom E and D50 in the Aoshan Bay were the highest,followed by those in the Daguan Island and Xiaoguan Island,and the data in the Laoshan Bay were the lowest.This showed that the capacity of suspended sediment transportation in the bottom water layer of the Aoshan Bay was stronger than that of the adjacent sea area.The re-suspension and migration of fine sediments lead to the strong coarsening of sediments in this area.