THE CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMER MONSOON ONSET OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA I.40-YEAR AVERAGE

By using 40-year NCEP reanalysis daily data91958-1997),we have analyzed the climatic characteristics of summer monsoon onset in the South China Sea(1050°E-120°E,5°N-20°N,to be simplified as SCS in the text followed) pentad y pentad(5 days),According to our new definition,in the monsoon area of the SCS two of the following conditions should be satistied:1)At 850hPa,the southwest winds should be greater than 2m/s.2)At 850 hPa.θse should e greater than 335°K.The new definition means that the summermonsoon is the southwest winds high temperature and high moisture.The onset of the SCS summer monsoon is defined to start when one half of the SCS area(105°E-120°E,5°N-20°N)is controlled by the summer monsoon.The analyzed results revealed the following:1) The summer monsoon in the SCS starts to build up abruptly in the 4th pentad in May.2) The summer monsoon onset in the SCS is resulted from the development and intensification of southwesterly monsoon in the Bay of Bengal.3) The onset of the summer monsoon and establishment of the summer monsoon rainfall season in the SCS occur simultaneously.4) During the summer monsoon onset in the SCS,troughs deepen and widen quickly in the lower troposphere of the India:the subtropical high in the Western pacific moves eastward off the SCS in the middle troposphere:the easterly advances northward over the SCS in the upper troposphere.

Climatological characteristics of monsoons and tropical cyclone activities over China seas and their influences on hydrological and seasonal structures over the South China Sea

The aim of this paper is to study whether the features of perennial summer over the South China Sea remain constant all the year round or not , and whether there are any seasonal differences throughout the year or not. According to the characteristics of remarkable monsoon and frequent typhoon, the influences of monsoon and tropical cyclone on the hydrological features and the seasonal structure over the South China Sea are analysed by using examples. It may be considered that in the perennial summer area over the South China Sea, it is summer all the year round, but it does not remain constant throughout the year. On the basis of index dates of developing stages for winter and summer monsoons as well as the seasonal characteristics of typhoon frequency,the perennial summer season over the South China Sea may be divided into four periods, namely, early summer, midsummer, sweltering summer and late summer. The concrete classification and the hydrological seasonal feature of each period are discussed.

The characteristic differences of tropical cyclones forming over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea

The best track dataset of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific （WNP） and the South China Sea （SCS） from 1977 to 2005 during the satellite era, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and the extended reconstructed sea surface temperature dataset are employed in this study. The main climatological characteristics of tropical cyclone formation over the WNP and the SCS are compared. It is found that there is obviously different for the locations of tropical cyclone origins, achieving the lowest central pressure and termination points between over the WNP and over the SCS. The annual number of tropical cyclones forming over the SCS is obviously less than over the WNP, and there is a significant negative correlation with the correlation coefficient being - 0.36 at the 5% significance level between over the WNP and over the SCS. The mean speed of tropical cyclone moving is 6.5 m/s over the WNP and 4.6 m/s over the SCS. The mean lowest central pressure of tropical cyclones is obviously weaker over the SCS than over the WNP. The tropical cyclone days per year, mean total distance and total displacement of tropical cyclone traveled over the WNP are all obviously longer than those over the SCS. Tropical cyclone may intensify to Saffir - Simpson hurricane scale 5 over the WNP, but no tropical cyclone can intensify to Saffir - Simpson hurricane scale 3 over the SCS. The changing ranges of the radii （R15,R16） of the 15.4 m/s winds them and the 25.7 m/s winds over the WNP are obviously wider than those over the SCS, and the median values of the radii over the WNP are also larger than those over the SCS. For the same intensity of tropical cyclones, both radii have larger medians over the WNP than over the SCS. The correlations of annual mean tropical cyclone size parameters between over the WNP and over the SCS are not significant. At the same time, the asymmetric radii of tropical cyclones over the WNP are different from those over the SCS.

Seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea

The seasonal characteristics and formation mechanism of the thermohaline structure of mesoscale eddy in the South China Sea are investigated using the latest eddy dataset and ARMOR3D data. Eddy-centric composites reveal that the horizontal distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy in winter is more of a dipole pattern in upper 50 m and tends to be centrosymmetric below 50 m, while in summer the distribution pattern is centrosymmetric in the entire water column. The horizontal distribution of eddy-induced salinity anomaly exhibits similar seasonal characteristics, except that the asymmetry of the salinity anomaly is weaker. The vertical distribution of temperature anomaly associated with eddy shows a monolayer structure, while the salinity anomaly demonstrates a triple-layer structure. Further analysis indicates that the vertical distribution of the anomalies is related to the vertical structure of background temperature and salinity fields, and the asymmetry of the anomalies in upper 50 m is mainly caused by the horizontal advection of background temperature and salinity.

Several significant hydrographic characteristics and their formation mechanism in the South China Sea during the spring and summer of 1998

dOn the basis of the CTD data obtained by the two cruises before and after summer monsoon burst (25th May, 1998), several significant hydrographic characteristics, their variation and formation mechanism in the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed. The results show that the Kuroshio water intrudes into the SCS in the form of loop current, and its main part is limited to the east of 118degreesE near the Luzon Strait. Then it continuously extends westwards under the influence of the large-scale circulation, and has a distinct impact on the area north of 16degreesN. There are two high temperature and low salinity regions: west off Luzon and east off Vietnam respectively. One region west off Luzon strengthens obviously after summer monsoon burst, the other east off Vietnam shows a tendency of weakening in the north and strengthening in the south. The formation of these two high temperature and low salinity regions is related to the anti-cyclonic eddies existing in this area, besides, it is also related to the high temperature feature west of Luzon, the influx of Sulu Sea water and the influence of the large-scale air circulation. There is a cold region below the depth of 50 m in the south of Zhongsha Islands, and it strengthens after monsoon burst. The formation of cold water is related to the upwelling there.

The seismic reflecting characteristics of gas hydrate bearing strata and its possible distribution in the South China Sea

关于煤气的水合物的研究是对精力资源和环境的地的一般兴趣的话题之一。华南海为煤气的水合物的出现和形成有有利条件。煤气的水合物的存在在模仿反射镜的底部的出现改变沉积阶层和结果的声学的性质，它使多信道的地震调查成为一个重要方法识别煤气的水合物。首先，基于地震思考成像的结果，论文分析包含煤气的水合物的沉积阶层的质的地震思考特征。一些关键地震成像技术也被讨论。下次，一口伪井被构造执行阻抗倒置自从在学习区域没有井，得到阶层的量的速度结构。最后，从地球物理的倒置的速度领域与在钻程序 184 巡航的海洋上获得的 geochemical 和地球物理的数据是综合的。所有信息证实煤气的水合物的存在并且显示出它的空间分发。

Observing spectral characteristics over a continental shelf and slope in the South China Sea

Using in situ measurement data from May-June, 1998, and data from the Asian seas international acoustics experiment （ASIAEX） from 2001 in the South China Sea （SCS）, the spectral density function and the dissipa- tion spectrum function are estimated. In the inffa-gravity wave （IGW） band, the power spectra of velocity （u, v, w） are universal functions with respect to characteristic frequencies, which correspond to the peak fre- quencies of the dissipation spectrum （PFDS）. This suggests that high-frequency internal waves in the IGW band have similar dynamical characteristics. In addition, the evolution of these characteristic frequencies is explored and its highest value is 8.8 cph （cycles per hour, 1 cph=2.778× 10-3 Hz）.

The distribution characteristics of clay minerals in the northern South China Sea

The clay minearals are composed of illite, chlorite, kaolinite, montmorillonite and mixed-layer minerals in the submarine sediments of the northern South China Sea. Three types of clay mineral zone can be recognized on the basis of the distributive regularity of clay minerals, submarine relief, hydrodynamic conditions and depositional characteristics in this region. Apart from the northern mainland source, kaolinites carried from the Philippines volcanic arc in the east and Malaysia in the south are also assumed to be one of the sources of the clay minerals in the deep sea. The increase of chlorites to the abyssal direction in the west of 116° E might be associated with the residual chlorites carried from the ancient Zhujiang River during the glacial period and the conversion of kaolinite into chlorite submarine volcanoes appear to be one of the sources of the increment of montmorillonite and chlorite around the Huangyan Island. From the distribution pattern of clay minerals in the whole area, it is known that the types of clay mineral assemblage in the study area are mainly controlled by climate and rock types of the source are-

Hydrographic characteristics and its variation of the South China Sea before and after monsoon burst in 1998

The differences of temperature, salinity distribution characteristics and structure of circulation in the upper layer of the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed, based on the CTD and ADCP data from the two intensive surveyed cruises (IOP1: April 10 - May 5; IOP2: June 12 - July 6) and carried out before and after the Asian monsoon burst (May 25) during the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) in 1998. The results showed that field of temperature in the upper layer of the SCS distinctly changed before and after the monsoon burst, the average surface temperature increased by 0.75℃ , with its influence down to the depth of 500 m. The interaction of the local circulation in some areas resulted in the complexity and variability of the temperature and salinity structure in the upper layer, and the alternating distribution of cold and warm water regions (blocks). The high salinity subsurface water obviously intruded into the SCS from the Northwest Pacific, but only limited to the area of southwest of Taiwan Island, and the low salinity intermediate water flowed from the SCS to the Northwest Pacific. The circulation field of the SCS in the summer mainly consisted of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies (rings). With the burst of the monsoon, the intensity and amount of the anticyclonic or the cyclonic eddies (rings) would vary, showing the complex distribution patterns and variations. The result analyzed by the isopycnic surface method coincided extremely with those by in situ survey (ADCP), which showed that the formation of circulation in the SCS was mainly controlled by the internal mass field, that is, dominated by the geostrophic component.

CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ONSET OF SOUTH CHINASEA SUMMERMONSOON II.INTER-DECADAL VARIATION

By using the 40-year NCEP (1958-1997) grid point reanalysis meteorological data, we analyzed the inter-decadal variation on the climatic characteristics of the onset of South China Sea summer monsoon. The results are as follows. (1) There was great difference on the onset date of the SCS summer monsoon between the first two decades and the last two decades. It was late on the 6th pentad of May for the first two decades and was on the 4th and 5th pentad of May for the next two decades. (2) Except for the third decade (1978-1987), the establishment of the monsoon rainfall was one to two pentads earlier than the onset of the summer monsoon in all other three decades. (3) The onset of the SCS monsoon is the result of the abrupt development and eastward advancement of the southwesterly monsoon over the Bay of Bengal. The four-decade analysis shows that there were abrupt development of the southwesterly monsoon over the Bay of Bengal between the 3rd and 4th pentad of May, but there was great difference between its eastward movement and its onset intensity. These may have important effect to the earlier or later onset of the SCS summer monsoon. (4) During the onset of the SCS summer monsoon, there were great difference in the upper and lower circulation feature between the first two and the next two decades. At the lower troposphere of the first two decades, the Indian-Burma trough was stronger and the center of the subtropical high was located more eastward. At the upper troposphere, the northward movement of the center of subtropical high was large and located more northward after it landed on the Indo-China Peninsula. After comparison, we can see that the circulation feature of the last two decades was favorable to the establishment and development of the SCS summer monsoon.

Patterns of gas hydrate accumulation in mass transport deposits related to canyon activity: Example from Shenhu drilling area in the South China Sea

Since 2017, a plenty of gas hydrates have been drilled in a new area of Shenhu, and good heterogeneity has been found throughout the spatial distribution of the reservoir. After distinguishing different sedimentary sequence types and matching their formation with slope deposition settings, this study proposes three mass transport deposit(MTD) patterns related to canyon activity that occurred contemporaneously or epigenetically with it: well preserved MTDs, MTDs eroded by canyon migration, and MTDs dislocated by contemporaneous faults. Based on seismic reflection characteristics, this study proposed methods of quantitatively analyzing sedimentary factors,such as measuring the turbidities flow rate in the canyon, and results are interpreted with respect to canyon activity. Combining the above parameters and their relationship with gas hydrate accumulation, fine-grained seals overlapping coarse MTDs reservoirs are found to be indispensable to gas hydrate accumulation, as they prevent the release of free gas. Based on grain size data of hydrate samples from drilling wells, multi-layered gas hydrate reservoirs capped by fine-grained sediments and overlapping mud show favorable hydrate-bearing prospects. The release of gas hydrates, however, is mostly caused by the lack of mud sealing in relation to canyon activity, such as turbidities flow erosion and contemporaneous fault breaking. Canyon migration with respect to MTDs may be the actual cause of erosion of overlapping syn-sedimentary layers, and high bottom flows may contribute to an increase in the release of free gas. It is believed that contemporaneous faults caused by unstable canyon walls may break the muddy over layers and decrease the accumulation pressure of gas hydrate bearing.Thus, according to the sedimentary characteristics of MTDs and the hydrate accumulation process, three responding accumulation or releasing patterns are proposed, which respond to the different types of MTDs distinguished above: a well-preserved MTD accumulation pattern; a canyon migration eroded MTD release pattern; and a micro-contemporaneous fault dislocated MTD release pattern.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FREQUENCY SPECTRUM VARIATION OF INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION OF CONVECTION DURING SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON

Datasets of equivalent temperature of black body (TBB) and sea surface temperature (SST)ranging from 1980 to 1997 are used to diagnose and analyze the characteristics of frequency spectrum andstrength of intraseasonal variation of convection. The relationship between the strength of intraseasonaloscillation of convection, strength of convection itself and SST in the South China Sea (SCS) is studied. It isshown that, there are distinguishable annual, interannual and interdecadal variations in both strength andfrequency spectrum of intraseasonal variation of convection in SCS. There are connections between strength ofconvection, strength of ISO1 in the summer half (s.h.) year and SST in ensuing winter half (w.h.) year in SCS.The strong (weak) convection and strong (weak) ISO1 are associated with negative (positive) bias of SST inensuing w.h. year in SCS.

Geochemical variation of volcanic rocks from the South China Sea and neighboring land: Implication for magmatic process and mantle structure

Geochemical study of Kon Tum（KT） plateau, Sanshui（SS） basin and Daimao（DM） seamount volcanic rocks provides new insight into magmatic processes and characteristics of the mantle source beneath the South China Sea（SCS） basin and its surroundings. Geological signature of basaltic lavas from KT, SS and DM indicate rather than a deep-rooted plume derived from the core-mantle boundary, a shallower mantle domain, such as subcontinental lithosphere mantle or asthenospheric mantle, is more likely to be the mantle source region beneath the SCS basin and its adjacent areas. The mantle source beneath the SCS basin has been shown to be more depleted relative to the source regions of the SS basin and the KT plateau, indicating that the magmatism in the SS basin has been interrupted due to the SCS spreading and then recovered in the KT plateau area. The mantle heterogeneity has been sampled and an enriched component that is geochemically comparable to EM2 endmember has been identified in the mantle source region of the SCS basin and its surroundings. This EM2 component was formed by the recycling of Mesozoic subducted proto-SCS slab along with terrigenous sediments.

VARIATION OF AEROSOL OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN GUANGZHOU DURING SOUTH CHINA SEA SUMMER MONSOON EVENTS

Variations in Guangzhou's aerosol optical characteristics and their possible causes are studied against the large-scale background of South China Sea summer monsoons(SCSSM) using aerosol data derived from Panyu Atmospheric Composition Watch Station in Guangzhou and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research(USA). The data is reanalyzed to develop a composite analysis and perform physical diagnoses. Analysis of the results shows that aerosol extinction in Guangzhou first increases then decreases during the active period of a SCSSM, with variations in the stratification of the planetary boundary layer(PBL) and environmental winds playing important roles in affecting Guangzhou's aerosol optical characteristics. Regional diabatic heating and anomalous cyclonic circulations excited by monsoon convection induce environmental wind anomalies that significantly modify the stratification of the PBL.

Development of the Miocene Guangle Carbonate Platform in the South China Sea:Architecture and Controlling Factors

This study investigates the evolution of the Miocene Guangle carbonate platform(or Triton Horst)of the northwestern South China Sea margin.The platform is located at a junction area surrounded by Yinggehai basin,Qiongdongnan basin and Zhongjiannan basin.Well and regional geophysical data allow the identification of the morphologic and stratigraphic patterns.The Guangle carbonate platform was initiated on a tectonic uplift during the Early Miocene.The early platform was limited at Mesozoic granitic basement,pre-Paleogene sediments localized tectonic uplift and was small extension at the beginning stage.While during the Middle Miocene,the carbonate buildup flourished,and grow a thrived and thick carbonate succession overlining the whole Guangle Uplift.The isolated platforms then united afterward and covered an extensive area of several tens of thousands of square kilometers.However,it terminated in the Late Miocene.What are the control factors on the initiation,growth and demise of the Guangle carbonate platform?The onset of widespread carbonate deposits largely reflected the Early Miocene transgression linked with early post-rift subsidence and the opening of the South China Sea.Stressed carbonate growth conditions on the Guangle carbonate platform probably resulted from increased inorganic nutrient input derived from the adjacent uplifted mainland,possibly enhanced by deteriorated climatic conditions promoting platform drowning.Therefore,tectonics and terrigenous input could be two main controlling factors on the development of the Guangle carbonate platforms and main evolution stages.

INTENSITY INDEX OF SOUTH CHINA SEA MONSOON AND ITS VARIATION CHARACTERISTICS

According to the basic characteristics of the activities of summer monsoon in the South China Sea, a standardized index, sI, has been designed that integrates a dynamic factor (southwesterly component) and a thermodynamic factor (OLR) for the indication of summer monsoon in the South China Sea. With the index determined for individual months of June, July and August and the entire summertime from 1975 to 1999, specific months and years are indicated that are either strong or weak in monsoon intensity. The variation is studied for the patterns and sI抯 relationship is revealed with the onset of summer monsoon and the precipitation in Guangdong province and China. The results show that there are quasi-10 and quasi-3-4 year cycles in the interannual variation of the monsoon over the past 25 years. When it has an early (late) onset, the summer monsoon is usually strong (weak). In the strong (weak) monsoon years, precipitation tends to be more (less) in the first raining season of the year but normal or less (normal) in the second, in the province, but it would be more (less) in northeastern China and most parts of the northern China and south of the lower reaches of the Changjiang River and less (more) in the middle and lower reaches of the river, western part of northern China and western China.

Rare earth elements and yttrium in ferromanganese deposits from the South China Sea:distribution,composition and resource considerations

Ferromanganese nodules and crusts contain relatively high concentration of rare earth elements（REE） and yttrium（REY）,with a growing interest in exploitation as an alternative to land-based REY resources.On the basis of comprehensive geochemical approach,the abundance and distribution of REY in the ferromanganese nodules from the South China Sea are analyzed.The results indicate that the REY contents in ferromanganese deposits show a clear geographic regularity.Total REY contents range from 69.1×10^-6 to 2 919.4×10^-6,with an average value of 1 459.5×10^-6.Especially,the enrichment rate of Ce content is high,accounting for almost 60% of the total REY.This REE enrichment is controlled mainly by the sorption of ferromanganese oxides and clay minerals in the nodules and crusts.Moreover,the total REY are higher in ferromanganese deposits of hydrogenous origin than of diagenetic origin.Finally,Light REE（LREE） and heavy REE（HREE） oxides of the ferromanganese deposits in the study area can be classified into four grades： non-enriched type,weakly enriched type,enriched type,and extremely enriched type.According to the classification criteria of rare earth resources,the Xisha and Zhongsha platform-central deep basin areas show a great potential for these rare earth metals.

The South China Sea Issue in Foreigners' Eyes

An arbitral tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration(PCA)in The Hague issued an award on July 12 on the South China Sea case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines.The Chinese government issued a statement saying that the award was null and void and had no

Development and Future of South China Sea Issue

Since 2010,the South China Sea issue has gone through complicated developments.The yearslong relative stability of the South China Sea has been broken by the advancement of US AsiaPacific rebalance strategy.Due to the