Vertical Structure of the Tidal Currents on the Continental Shelf of the East China Sea

The available data on tidal currents spanning periods greater than six months for the continental shelf of the East China Sea (26°30.052′N, 122°35.998′E) were analyzed using several methods. Tidal Current Harmonic Analysis results demonstrated that semi-diurnal tides dominated the current movement. The tidal currents of the principal diurnal and semidiurnal rotated clockwise with depth, with the deflection of the major semi-axes to the right in the upper layer and to the left in the lower layer. The vertical structures of two principal semi-diurnal constituents-M2 and S2-were similar, which indicates that the tidal currents are mainly barotropic in this area. The main features of the variation of the four principal tidal constituents with depth demonstrate that the currents in this region are influenced by the upper and lower boundary layers. Therefore, the tidal constituents of the shallow water are similar. Different vertical modes were calculated based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of the Eastern and Northern components of the tidal currents, with a variance contribution for the zero-order model of at least 90%. The variance contribution of the baroclinic model is minimal, which further reveals a strong barotropic character for the tidal currents of this region.

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 .

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.

Rare earth element geochemistry in the inner shelf of the East China Sea and its implication to sediment provenances

Gravity core EC2005, located in the mud wedge off the Zhejiang-Fujian coast in the inner shelf of the East China Sea （ECS）, was analyzed for its lithology, grain size, rare earth elements （REE） and AMS14C dating. Results revealed high-resolution paleoenvironmental evolution and multiple switches of sediment provenances in the inner shelf of ECS. The lithology, grain size and REE concentrations of sediments varied significantly down the core. Mean grain size ranged from 8 to 121 μm, and the values of ΣREE were 152.8-227.9 μg/g. The chondrite- and shale-normalized REE patterns indicated their similarity to the terrigenous sediments in the study area. Between 17.3-12.3 ka BP the sediments in the inner shelf of ECS were mainly originated from local drainage basins. The source then gradually switched to the Yangtze River between 12.3 and 9.8 ka BP. Since about 10-9.8 ka BP, the sediments in the study area were dominantly derived from the Yangtze River. The continuous rising of sea level and formation of coastal current along the inner shelf played a key role in the switches of sediment provenances.