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.

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.