Dissolved Inorganic Arsenic in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea—Distributions and Seasonal Variations

The distributions and seasonal variations of total dissolved inorganic arsenic （TDIAs, [TDIAs] = [As^5＋]＋[As^3＋]） and arsenite （As3.） in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea are presented hero based on the observations of 9 cruises carried out in 2000 - 2003. The study area covers a broad range of hydrographic and chemical properties. The emphasis is put on a southeast transect from Changjiang Estuary to the Ryukyu Islands （i.e. PN section） in the East China Sea to discuss the impact of terrestdal input on the marginal seas of China. Arsenic species （TDlAs and arsenite） are determined by selective hydride generation - atomic fluorescence spectrometry （HG-AFS）. TDIAs concentrations were high in the coastal area of Changjiang Estuary and decreased slightly towards the shelf region. High concentratiOns of TDIAs were also existed in the near bottom layer of shelf edge of the East China Sea which indicated another source of arsenic from the incursion of Kuroshio Waters. The seasonal variations of TDIAs in the study area depend on the hydrographic stages of Changjiang and the incursion intensity of Kuroshio Waters. Arsenite showed opposite distributions with TDIAs, with higher concentrations appeared at the surface layer of shelf region, which was positive correlated with the chlorophyll a. Biological conversion of arsenate into arsenite was hypothesized for the observed distribution pattern and its seasonal variations. The stoichoimetric ratios of As to P were estimated to be about 2×10^3 at PN Section in summer. The concentrations of dissolved arsenic in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea were comparable with other areas in the world.

Analysis of seasonal variation of water masses in East China Sea

Seasonal variations of water masses in the East China Sea(ECS) and adjacent areas are investigated, based on historical data of temperature and salinity( T-S). Dynamic and thermodynamic mechanisms that affect seasonal variations of some dominant water masses are discussed, with reference to meteorological data. In the ECS above depth 600 m, there are eight water masses in summer but only five in winter. Among these, Kuroshio Surface Water(KSW), Kuroshio Intermediate Water(KIW), ECS Surface Water(ECSSW), Continental Coastal Water(CCW), and Yellow Sea Surface Water(YSSW) exist throughout the year. Kuroshio Subsurface Water(KSSW), ECS Deep Water(ECSDW), and Yellow Sea Bottom Water(YSBW) are all seasonal water masses, occurring from May through October. The CCW, ECSSW and KSW all have significant seasonal variations, both in their horizontal and vertical extents and their T-S properties. Wind stress, the Kuroshio and its branch currents, and coastal currents are dynamic factors for seasonal variation in spatial extent of the CCW, KSW, and ECSSW, whereas sea surface heat and freshwater fl uxes are thermodynamic factors for seasonal variations of T-S properties and thickness of these water masses. In addition, the CCW is affected by river runoff and ECSSW by the CCW and KSW.

Study on the Seasonal Variation of the Suspended Sediment Distribution and Transportation in the East China Seas Based on SeaWiFS Data

The monthly mean suspended sediment concentration in the upper layer of the East China Seas was derived from the retrieval of the monthly binned SeaWiFS Level 3 data during 1998 to 2006. The seasonal variation and spatial distribution of the suspended sediment concentration in the study area were investigated. It was found that the suspended sediment distribution presents apparent spatial characteristics and seasonal variations, which are mainly affected by the resuspension and transportation of the suspended sediment in the study area. The concentration of suspended sediment is high inshore and low offshore, and river mouths are generally high concentration areas. The suspended sediment covers a much wider area in winter than in summer, and for the same site the concentration is generally higher in winter. In the Yellow and East China Seas the suspended sediment spreads farther to the open sea in winter than in summer, and May and October are the transitional periods of the extension. Winds, waves, currents, thermocline, halocline, pycnocline as well as bottom sediment feature and distribution in the study area are important influencing factors for the distribution pattern. If the 10rag L^-1 contour line is taken as an indicator, it appears that the transportation of suspended sediment can hardly reach 124^o00＇E in summer or 126^o00＇E in winter, which is due to the obstruction of the Taiwan Warm Current and the Kuroshio Current in the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

A Modelling Study of Inter-Annual Variation of Kuroshio Intrusion on the Shelf of East China Sea

Inter-annual variability of the Kuroshio water intrusion on the shelf of East China Sea (ECS) was simulated with a nested global and Northwest Pacific ocean circulation model.The model analysis reveals the influence of the variability of Kuroshio transport east of Taiwan on the intrusion to the northeast of Taiwan:high correlation (r=0.92) with the on-shore volume flux in the lower layer (50 200 m) ;low correlation (r=0.50) with the on-shore flux in the upper layer (0 50 m) .Spatial distribution of correlations between volume fluxes and sea surface height suggests that inter-annual variability of the Kuroshio flux east of Taiwan and its subsurface water intruding to the shelf lag behind the sea surface height anomalies in the central Pacific at 162 E by about 14 months,and could be related to wind-forced variation in the interior North Pacific that propagates westward as Rossby waves.The intrusion of Kuroshio surface water is also influenced by local winds.The intruding Kuroshio subsurface water causes variations of temperature and salinity of bottom waters on the southern ECS shelf.The influence of the intruding Kuroshio subsurface water extends widely from the shelf slope northeast of Taiwan northward to the central ECS near the 60 m isobath,and northeastward to the region near the 90 m isobath.

Seasonal variability of the Kuroshio Current at the PN Section in the East China Sea based on in-situ observation from 1987 to 2010

As the spatio-temporal variability of the Kuroshio is highly influenced by mesoscale eddies, representing its seasonal variability characteristics requires sufficiently long term observations to reduce the uncertainties. Geostrophic velocity data estimated from hydrographic observation from 1987 to 2010 and the shipboard ADCP velocity data from 1993 to 2008 at the PN Section in the central East China Sea are collected to view the seasonal variability objectively. From both types of observation, it is found that the seasonal climatology mean of the Kuroshio Current exhibits significant difference in three areas, which are located at the Kuroshio Current core and its two flanks in a shallow layer less than 300 m, with the weakest northeast current at the core in autumn, the strongest counter current on the right flank in spring, and the strongest northeast current on the left flank in autumn, respectively. The seasonal variance of the Kuroshio Current also exhibits significant difference on the off- shore side of the Kuroshio, with larger variance in spring and summer while smaller variance in autumn and winter. For the current parallel to the PN Section, the ratio of the seasonal variability component to the intraseasonal variability component is relatively smaller than that for the current perpendicular to the PN Section. Further analyses indicate that the seasonal variability at the PN Section is tightly linked to the upstream and downstream current variability.

Distribution of Dissolved Inorganic Arsenic and Its Seasonal Variations in the Coastal Area of the East China Sea

Water samples were collected in the coastal area of the Changjiang Estuary on four cruises from August 2002 to May 2003. The seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic arsenic （DIAs） distributions were analyzed. The results showed that the distributions of DIAs were mainly influenced by Water （KSSW）. The concentration of the total dissolved the terrestrial input and the intrusion of the Kuroshio Subsurface inorganic arsenic （TDIAs） decreased consecutively from winter to summer, while it increased in autumn. The distributions of TDIAs showed some relationships with salinity and suspended particulate matter （SPM）. The relationships between DIAs speciation （including arsenite [ As（ Ⅲ ） ] and arsenate [ As（ Ⅴ ） ]）, biological activity and the availabilities of the phosphate were investigated in the study area for the cruise August 2002. The ratio of As （Ⅲ）/TDIAs increased with the decrease of phosphate concentrations. In the bottom water, the As（ Ⅲ ）/TDIAs ratio decreased with the increasing of N/P. The concentration of TDIAs decreased 28.7% approximately after the occurrence of harmful algal blooms （HAB） because of the uptake of arsenate by algae. Further study is needed about the arsenic source/sink relationships in their vertical or horizontal profiles and the uptake mechanism during the occurrence of harmful algal blooms.

Interannual variation of nutrients along a transect across the Kuroshio and shelf area in the East China Sea over 40 years

Long-term datasets of water temperature,salinity,dissolved oxygen,phosphate and nitrate from 1973 to 2013 were used to study interannual variations of these parameters along a transect(section PN)across the Kuroshio and shelf area in the East China Sea.Water temperature and salinity at depths of 0–200 m showed a low-high-low-high pattern over the 40-year period.Water temperature and salinity at 500 m were relatively high from 1985 to 1990 and decreased continuously thereafter.Salinity at 800 m was lowest around 1993 and increased thereafter.Nutrients were highest between 1980 and 1985.After 1985,nutrients at 500 m were increasing.The range of variation in nutrients was large before 1985 and the magnitude increased with greater depths.Apparent oxygen utilization at 500 m depth was decreasing before 1990 and started to increase after 1992.Significant changes after 1990 at 500 m depth may be due to the upward trend of the upper boundary of Kuroshio intermediate water.Interannual variation of water temperature,salinity,dissolved oxygen,phosphate and nitrate along section PN has a significant correlation with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index.

Statistical analysis of intensity variations in tropical cyclones in the East China Sea passing over the Kuroshio

Intensity variations of the SE-NW-oriented tropical cyclones(TC)in the East China Sea(ECS)passing over the Kuroshio are studied using multi-year high-resolution sea surface temperature data,the tropical cyclone data,and the global reanalysis dataset.The statistical results show that there are 81 TCs passing over the Kuroshio from the southeast in the East China Sea,over 68 years from 1949 to 2016.In terms of the change of the atmospheric pressure in the center of the TC,there are three categories:31 TCs are intensified,28 maintain their intensities,and 22 weakened.Significant seasonal differences are presented in the distribution.In the analysis on the intensified TCs,it is found that the TCs in the range where the center translational speed is from 1 m/s to 8 m/s and the distance from the Kuroshio main axis is from 10 km to 75 km are intensified more significantly.The analysis of three specific examples of TCs show that the stronger characteristics of the Kuroshio warm water in the ECS,the greater the intensity increase of such tropical cyclones.

The Effect of the East China Sea Kuroshio Front on the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Various satellite data,JRA-25(Japan reanalysis of 25 years) reanalyzed data and WRF(Weather Research Forecast) model are used to investigate the in situ effect of the ESKF(East China Sea Kuroshio Front) on the MABL(marine atmospheric boundary layer).The intensity of the ESKF is most robust from January to April in its annual cycle.The local strong surface northerly/northeasterly winds are observed right over the ESKF in January and in April and the wind speeds decrease upward in the MABL.The thermal wind effect that is derived from the baroclinic MABL forced by the strong SST gradient contributes to the strong surface winds to a large degree.The convergence zone existing along the warm flank of the ESKF is stronger in April than in January corresponding to the steeper SST(sea surface temperature) gradient.The collocations of the cloud cover maximum and precipitation maximum are basically consistent with the convergence zone of the wind field.The clouds develop higher(lower) in the warm(cold) flank of the ESKF due to the less(more) stable stratification in the MABL.The lowest clouds are observed in April on the cold flank of the ESKF and over the Yellow Sea due to the existence of the pronounced temperature inversion.The numerical experiments with smoothed SST are consistent with the results from the ovservations.

The study of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands

In this study, the inverse method is used to compute the Kuroshio in the East China Sea and southeast of Kyushu and the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of hydrographic data obtained during September-October, 1987 by R/V Chofu Maru. The results show that: (1)A part of the Taiwan Warm Current has a tendency to converge to the shelf break; (2) the Kuroshio flows across the section C3 (PN) with a reduced current width, and the velocity of the Kuroshio at the section C3 increases and its maximum current speed is about 158 cm/s, and its volume transport here is about 26×106m3/s; (3) the Kuroshio has two current cores at the sections C3 (PN) and B2 (at the Tokara Strait); (4) the currents east of the Ryukyu Islands are found to flow northward over the Ryukyu Trench during September-October, 1987. The velocities of the currents are not strong throughout the depths. At the section C2 east of the Ryukyu Islands, the maximum current speed is at the 699 m levei and its magnitude is 25 cm/s, and its volume transport is about 21×06 m3/s; (5) the volume transports of the Kuroshio through the sections B2 (at the Tokara Strait) and C6 (southeast of Kyushu) are 23. 33, 67. 31×106 m3/s, respectively; (6) there are two meso-scale anticyclonic warm eddies between 135° E and the area east of the Ryukyu Islands, and their characters and hydrographic structure are discussed.

A study on zooplankton distribution patterns and indicator species in Kuroshio upstream area and adjacent East China Sea

On the basis of the data of zooplankton biomass and three major taxa—— Copepoda, Chaetognatha andSiphonophora of May-June 1986, July-August and December 1987, the distributional patterns and the indicator species of zooplankton in the Kuroshio and adjacent waters of the East China Sea are preliminarily studied. The results are as follows:The horizontal distribution of zooplankton biomass and the abundance of copepods, chaetognaths and siphonophores arecurred in the continent area northwest of Taiwan and the south-centre section of the East China Sea continent, which are the mix front of different waters. Zooplankton in the water area inside of Ryukyu Islands presented low abundance and high diversity. There are clear seasonal variations in zooplankton biomass and abundance in the study area. The strength or weakness of different water masses and fronts is the basic reason for the variations of zooplankton biomass and abundance.The species composition of zooplankton in the study area is complex and varies, however, the tropic oceanic species predominates overwhelmingly. The distribution of different ecotype species evidences the distribution of different water masses and the state of mixture. The indicator species of each water mass are listed in the paper so as to provide grounds for the variation of currents in the Kuroshio area.The temperature and salinity of sea water are important factors affecting zooplankton distribution, composition and diversity , however the role of salinity is major. With the replacement of one season by another, the correlative levels of temperature and salinity to various zooplankton taxa are more or less significant.

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 .

Surface distribution of alkalinity and specific alkalinity and their application to water mass tracing in Kuroshio area of the East China Sea

Surface distribution and seasonal variation of alkalinity and specific alkalinity in Kuroshio area of the East ChinaSea and their application to the water mass tracing are discussed in this paper. Results show a distinct seasonal variation of the alkalinity, which is concerned with the process of vertical mixing. Different specific alkalinity in various water masses has been found. On the basis of the difference of the specific alkalinity and the distribution of alkalinity, two water fronts in summer season, located at 27°-30°N and 124°-1 27°E, (Ⅰ), and at the northern waters about one latitude from the Taiwan Island, (Ⅱ); one in winter season at about one longitude from coast of mainland of China and 26°-30°N were found. In summer season, about 1-2 longitudes eastward shift of front (Ⅰ) is found by comparison of data in May and August. And the high alkalinity of the northern East China Sea in summer season may be caused by the Huanghe River runoff flowing southward along with the Huanghai Sea Coastal Current.

Relationship between East China Sea Kuroshio and Climatic Elements in East China

Using long term observation data in the main part of East China Sea Kuroshio, variations of Kuroshio upper layer temperature and salinity, their relationships with surface temperature and precipitation in east China are studied. Results reveal that the Kuroshio upper layer temperature experienced slight rise while salinity decreased in the past 50 years. In winter, Kuroshio upper layer temperature is closely related to the surface temperature in east China, and large area in east China shows positive correlation to the Kuroshio upper layer temperature, which might be related to the mass temperature reduction as a result of the cold air activities in winter. In summer, the increase of the precipitation causes the increase of diluted Yangtze River water into the shelf sea, thereby results in the salinity decrease of Kuroshio in the upper layer.

The Formation of Wind Curl in the Marine Atmosphere Boundary Layer over the East China Sea Kuroshio in Spring

Various data are used to investigate the characteristics of the surface wind field and rainfall on the East China Sea Kuroshio(ESK) in March and April, 2011. In March, the wind speed maximum shows over the ESK front(ESKF) in the 10 meter wind field, which agrees with the thermal wind effect. A wind curl center is generated on the warm flank of the ESKF. The winds are much weaker in April, so is the wind curl. A rainband exists over the ESKF in both the months. The Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model is used for further researches. The winds on the top of the marine atmosphere boundary layer(MABL) indicate that in March, a positive wind curl is generated in the whole MABL over the warm flank of the ESKF. The thermal wind effect forced by the strong SST gradient overlying the background wind leads to strong surface northeasterly winds on the ESKF, and a positive shearing vorticity is created over the warm flank of the ESKF to generate wind curl. In the smoothed sea surface temperature experiment, the presence of the ESKF is responsible for the strong northeast winds in the ESKF, and essential for the distribution of the rainfall centers in March, which confirms the mechanism above. The same simulation is made for April, 2011, and the responses from the MABL become weak. The low background wind speed weakens the effect of the thermal wind, thus no strong Ekman pumping is helpful for precipitation. There is no big difference in rainfall between the control run and the smooth SST run. Decomposition of the wind vector shows that local wind acceleration induced by the thermal wind effect along with the variations in wind direction is responsible for the pronounced wind curl/divergence over the ESKF.

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.

Characteristics of Water Type Distribution and Seasonal Variations in the Southern East China Sea

By using the data of Summer and Winter 1987, Spring and Autumn 1988 obtained by the R/V " Shijian" during the China-Japan Joint Research Program on Kuroshio, the paper makes an analysis and research on the water type distribution and its variations in the studied sea area. Trie results of which are mainly as follows: (1) The Class IV mixing water whose property is similar to that of the continental coastal water is located in the northeast sea area, along the coast of the continent in autumn and winter while extending to the open sea in spring and summer. (2) The boundary between the Kuroshio water and the shelf mixing water (called the left boundary of the Kroshio water) is approximately located in between the 100m and 200m isobaths in various seasons and various layers, and mostly near the 200m isobath. In the sea area northeast of Taiwan, the Kuroshio water is to the west most in spring and then in winter. In summer, it is to the east most while, in autumn, it is in between its positions in summer

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.

Variability of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea in 1993 and 1994

Based on the hydrographic data obtained by the R/V Chofu Maru of eight cruises of 1993~1994, a modified inverse method is used to compute the velocity, volume and heat transports of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea. The calculated results show that: (1) At Section PN, there are two current cores of the Kuroshio in autumn, one or two cores in other seasons. The main cores always lie over the shelf break. Countercurrents always exist east of and in the deep layer under the Kuroshio. (2) At Section TK, the velocity distribution is more complicated, and it may have one, two or three current cores of the Kuroshio. The current cores often appear in the middle and northern parts of the Tokara Strait. There are westward countercurrents in the southern end and deep layer of the strait, and the countercurrent in the southern end of the strait is the strongest in autumn. (3) At Section A, the Tsushima Warm Current (hereafter TSWC) core lies in the shelf break area, and its Vmax varies between 26~46 cm/s. The Huanghai Warrn Current (hereafter HWC) lies to the west of the TSWC, and it is weaker. (4) In 1993 and 1994 the volume transport (hereafter VT) of the Kuroshio is the smallest in spring, but it is the largest or has a larger value in summer. The average net northward VT of the Kuroshio during the four seasons each year, for example, through Section PN, almost has the same value for 1993 and 1994, but both are smaller than that in 1992. The average net northward VT through Sections PN and TK during the eight cruises are 27. 1×106 and 25. 0 ×106 m3/s, respectively. (5) The average heat transports (hereafter HT) through Sections PN and TK are 1. 99 × 1015 and 1. 78× 1015 W, respectively. (6) At the computation area, heat transfer is from the ocean to the atmosphere in autumn and winter, but the direction reverses in summer, and the direction of heat transfer is uncertain in spring. The average rate of heat transfer is the largest in winter, but smaller in spring and summer.

Role of Kuroshio frontal eddy in exchange between shelf water and Kuroshio water in East China Sea

Basic patterns of the reversal of the Kuroshio water toward the shelf, intrusion of the shelf mixed water into the Kuroshio and uplifting of the near-bottom nutrient-rich water into the upper layer by the pumping of the frontal eddy are analyzed on the basis of satellite infrared images and hydrologic, chemical and biological observations. Results show that the Kuroshio frontal eddies play a very important role in the exchange between the shelf water and the Kuroshio water. The estimation of the average volume transports for three frontal eddy events indicates that the shelf mixed water entrained by an eddy into Kuroshio is 0.44×10~6 m3/s and the reversal Kuroshio water onto the shelf region only 0.04×10~6 m3/s. Along the whole shelf edge, the volume transport of the shelf mixed water entrained by the eddies into the Kuroshio is 1.8×10~6 m3/s. The nutrient (NO3-N) flux pumped to the euphotic zone and input to the continental shelf through a column with 1 m wide is 974 μmol/(s·m) when there is frontal eddy and only 79 μmol/(s·m) in the case of no frontal eddy. Yearly nutrient (NO3-N) flux input to the shelf area caused by the frontal eddy is 1.7×10~5 t/a.