Regulation of Water Masses to Hypoxia Zones in the Changjiang Estuary

The regulating ways of different water masses affecting the locations and intensities of hypoxia zones were studied based on the time-space continuum data from August 2011 to 2013–2017.The 6-year distribution of the hypoxic area in the Changjiang Estuary(CE)and its adjacent waters show that the hypoxic area can be divided into two segments.The southern segment is out of the south branch of the CE,whereas the northern segment is in the junction zone between the South Yellow Sea and the CE.The two segments were divided along the 31.5°–32°N latitude line.The northern and southern segments were dominated by the East China Sea shelf water(ECSSW)and Kuroshio subsurface water(KSW),respectively.When the KSW(salinity>34)intrusion reached the east of 123°E and south of 31°N,hypoxia zones mainly occurred in the southern segment covered by the Changjiang Diluted Water(CDW),meanwhile the Yellow Sea cold water mass may emerge in the northeastern area.When the KSW intensely invaded westward to the region between 122°and 122.5°E and northward to 31.5°N or further north,hypoxia zones appeared in the northern segment.The strength of the KSW with low dissolved oxygen concentration is the basic driving factor for the hypoxia occurrence in the CE.Moreover,the stratification is crucial for the southern segment,whereas the organic matter decomposition is dominated for the northern segment,even with severe hypoxia across the sea surface in the study area.

Analysis of thermohaline and current distribution characteristics of Zhejiang and Fujian waters in summer

This paper analyzed the distribution of thermohaline and circulation characteristics of Zhejiang and Fujian waters,based on the cross-sectional thermohaline data and on current data （up to 30 d duration） at fixed-point moorings,collected in the summer of 2006.We also performed low-pass filtering and spectrum analysis on the mooring submersible buoy data.Based on that analysis,we discussed the characteristics of low frequency currents and time-variations in these waters.The main conclusions are as follows.（1） There is a low salinity pinnate area near the Hangzhou Bay in summer,and outside the low salinity area,an obvious salinity front is present from surface to bottom near 123 E.There is also a temperature front below the surface at a corresponding position.（2） Bottom water of the Taiwan Warm Current comes from the subsurface of Kuroshio.（3） The direction of low frequency current at fixed anchor stations is N-NE or S,which mainly depends on the interaction of control currents in this waters.（4） Significant spectral peaks at all mooring stations are typically semidiurnal and diurnal tides.Semidiurnal tidal waves are the main ones in these waters,and have more energy closer to the shore.（5） Significant energy spectral peaks of middle period （3 to 8 d） of currents are responses to weather frequency.（6） Significant energy spectral peaks of long periods at the surface or bottom are probably responses to seasonal wind or bottom friction,while,the long period peaks of other depths can reflect cyclical changes of interactions between currents.We conclude that the pulsation period of the Taiwan Warm Current in these waters is 10-17 d.