Development of a fine-resolution atmosphere-wave-ocean coupled forecasting model for the South China Sea and its adjacent seas

A 72-h fine-resolution atmosphere-wave-ocean coupled forecasting system was developed for the South China Sea and its adjacent seas. The forecasting model domain covers from from 15°S to 45°N in latitude and 99°E to135°E in longitude including the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Indonesian seas. To get precise initial conditions for the coupled forecasting model, the forecasting system conducts a 24-h hindcast simulation with data assimilation before forecasting. The Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter(EAKF) data assimilation method was adopted for the wave model MASNUM with assimilating Jason-2 significant wave height(SWH) data. The EAKF data assimilation method was also introduced to the ROMS model with assimilating sea surface temperature(SST), mean absolute dynamic topography(MADT) and Argo profiles data. To improve simulation of the structure of temperature and salinity, the vertical mixing scheme of the ocean model was improved by considering the surface wave induced vertical mixing and internal wave induced vertical mixing. The wave and current models were integrated from January 2014 to October 2015 driven by the ECMWF reanalysis 6 hourly mean dataset with data assimilation. Then the coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean forecasting system was carried out 14 months operational running since November 2015. The forecasting outputs include atmospheric forecast products, wave forecast products and ocean forecast products. A series of observation data are used to evaluate the coupled forecasting results, including the wind, SHW, ocean temperature and velocity.The forecasting results are in good agreement with observation data. The prediction practice for more than one year indicates that the coupled forecasting system performs stably and predict relatively accurate, which can support the shipping safety, the fisheries and the oil exploitation.

Synoptic-scale disturbances over the northern South China Sea and their responses to El Nio

Using surface and aerological meteorological observations obtained at the Xisha Automatic Weather Station and three moored buoys along the continental slope, characteristics of the synoptic-scale disturbances over the northern South China Sea （NSCS） are extensively studied. The power spectra of surface and aerological observations suggest a synoptic feature with a pronounced energy peak at a period of 5–8 d and a weak peak at 3–4 d. The standard deviation of the synoptic temperature component derived at Xisha Station from 1976 to 2011 indicates that the strongest variability normally exists in August all through the whole troposphere. At the interannual scale, it is found that El Nin o plays an important role in regulating the synoptic disturbances of atmosphere. The vertical synoptic disturbances have a double active peak following El Nin o condition. The first peak usually occurs during the mature phase of El Nin o, and the second one occurs in the summer of decay year. Comparing with the summer of developing years, the summer of the decaying year of El Nin o has more active and stronger synoptic disturbances, especially for the 5–8 d period variations.

Decadal variation and trend of the upper layer salinity in the South China Sea from 1960 to 2010

Ocean salinity is an essential measurable indicator of water cycle and plays a crucial role in regulating ocean and climate change.Using Simple Ocean Data Assimilation(SODA)reanalysis product,substantial decadal variability of the salinity in the upper layer of the South China Sea(SCS)from 1960 to 2010 was examined.Results show that a decadal variation of the upper layer salinity is clear.The upper layer(100 m)waters are found to freshen from 1960,become saltier during 1975 to 1995,and freshen again from 1995 to 2010.The strongest anomalies appear in the northeastern,northern,and northwestern regions in the three periods,respectively.The salinity variation trends become weaker below the upper layer,except the salinifi cation trend in the northern SCS extends to at least 300 m during the salinifi cation period.Diagnosis of the salinity budget over the top 100 m shows that during the fi rst freshening period horizontal advection,vertical advection,and surface freshwater forcing all contribute to salinity freshening,and horizontal advection is relatively larger.The contribution of horizontal advection and surface freshwater forcing to the positive salinity anomaly is comparable,while the vertical advection is the secondary factor in the salinifi cation period.Horizontal advection,especially zonal advection,plays a crucial role during the second freshening period.Moreover,horizontal advection is more important than that in the fi rst freshening period.In addition,the contribution of horizontal advection is mainly in zonal direction controlled by Kuroshio intrusion.Further analysis shows the upper-layer salinity variations have a Pacifi c Decadal Oscillation(PDO)-like signal,with freshening during the negative PDO years,and salinifi cation during the positive PDO years.PDO mainly infl uences the upper-layer salinity changes through both atmospheric bridge and oceanic bridge.

Role of the South China Sea Summer Upwelling in Tropical Cyclone Intensity

Tropical cyclones (TCs) can affect the thermal structure in the upper ocean by mixing. In turn, upper-ocean thermal structure also affects the evolution of TCs. Here based on satellite data, in situ temperature and salinity observations and the best-track data of the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center, combined with an ocean mixed layer model, the role of the pre-existing summer upwelling of the northern South China Sea (NSCS) in TCs self-induced sea surface cooling was explored. The modeling results showed that for a given atmospheric thermodynamic condition, TCs self-induced sea surface cooling is quite different when they pass over the regions with pre-existing upwelling and without upwelling. The amplitude of TCs self-induced cooling is larger by more than 50% in the region with pre-existing upwelling than that without. For example, for a slow-moving typhoon with translation speed of 4 m/s and wind speed of 45 m/s, TC self-induced surface cooling is 2.5°C when they pass over the upwelling region, but only 1.5°C when they pass over the region without upwelling. The results suggest that upwelling of the NSCS could amplify TCs self-induced cooling and play a negative role in TCs intensification before they made landfall in Southern China.

Responses of estuarine salinity and transport processes to sea level rise in the Zhujiang(Pearl River) Estuary

Understanding the changes of hydrodynamics in estuaries with respect to magnitude of sea level rise is important to understand the changes of transport process. Based on prediction of sea level rise over the 21st century, the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary was chosen as a prototype to study the responses of the estuary to potential sea level rise. The numerical model results show that the average salt content, saltwater intrusion distance, and stratification will increase as the sea level rises. The changes of these parameters have obvious seasonal variations. The salt content in the Lingdingyang shows more increase in April and October（the transition periods）. The saltwater intrusion distance has larger increase during the low-flow periods than during the highflow periods in the Lingdingyang. The result is just the opposite in Modaomen. The stratification and its increase are larger during the low-flow periods than during the high-flow periods in Lingdingyang. The response results of transport processes to sea level rise demonstrate that：（1） The time of vertical transport has pronounced increase.The increased tidal range and currents would reinforce the vertical mixing, but the increased stratification would weaken the vertical exchange. The impact of stratification changes overwhelms the impact of tidal changes. It would be more difficult for the surface water to reach the bottom.（2） The lengthways estuarine circulation would be strengthened. Both the offshore surface residual current and inshore bottom residual current will be enhanced.The whole meridional resident flow along the transect of the Lingdingyang would be weakened. These phenomena are caused by the decrease of water surface slope（WWS） and the change of static pressure with the increase of water depth under sea level rise.

On the Forced Tangentially-Averaged Radial-Vertical Circulation within Vortices. Part II: The Transformationof Tropical Storm Haima (2004)

A real case study for the transformation of Tropical Storm （TS） Haima （2004） into an extratropical cyclone （EC） is carried out numerically since,after landfall,Haima （2004） （as an EC） brought severe weather to a large area （from the south to the north） in China during 13-16 September 2004.With the linear diagnostic model （derived in a previous study） for the tangentially-averaged radial-vertical circulation within vortices moving on the spherical Earth,Haima＇s （2004） life cycle is reconstructed noticeably well.Therefore,the major contributor could be identified confidently for Haima＇s （2004） extratropical transition based on the diagnostic model outputs.The quantitative comparison shows that up to a 90% contribution to the innerregion updraft and a 55% contribution to the upper-layer outflow come from latent heating during Haima＇s （2004） TS stage.Up to a 90% contribution to the inner-region updraft and nearly a 100% contribution to the upper-layer outflow come from the upper-layer eddy angular momentum advection （EAMA） during Haima＇s （2004） EC stage.Representing the asymmetric structure of the storm,the predominantly positive contribution of the upper-layer EAMA to Haima＇s （2004） transformation is closely associated with the Sshaped westerlies in the upper layer with two jets.One jet in the cyclonic-curvature area carries cyclonic angular momentum into the storm,and the other jet in the anticyclonic-curvature area carries anticyclonic angular momentum out of the storm.Consequently,the newly-increased cyclonic tangential wind is deflected by the Coriolis force to the right to form the upper-layer outflow accompanied by the central-area rising motion,leading to Haima＇s （2004） extratropical transition after its landfall.

Upper-Tropospheric Environment–Tropical Cyclone Interactions over the Western North Pacific:A Statistical Study

Based on 25-year（1987–2011） tropical cyclone（TC） best track data, a statistical study was carried out to investigate the basic features of upper-tropospheric TC–environment interactions over the western North Pacific. Interaction was defined as the absolute value of eddy momentum flux convergence（EFC） exceeding 10 m s^（-1）d^（-1）. Based on this definition, it was found that 18% of all six-hourly TC samples experienced interaction. Extreme interaction cases showed that EFC can reach^120 m s^（-1）d^（-1） during the extratropical-cyclone（EC） stage, an order of magnitude larger than reported in previous studies.Composite analysis showed that positive interactions are characterized by a double-jet flow pattern, rather than the traditional trough pattern, because it is the jets that bring in large EFC from the upper-level environment to the TC center. The role of the outflow jet is also enhanced by relatively low inertial stability, as compared to the inflow jet. Among several environmental factors, it was found that extremely large EFC is usually accompanied by high inertial stability, low SST and strong vertical wind shear（VWS）. Thus, the positive effect of EFC is cancelled by their negative effects. Only those samples during the EC stage, whose intensities were less dependent on VWS and the underlying SST, could survive in extremely large EFC environments, or even re-intensify. For classical TCs（not in the EC stage）, it was found that environments with a moderate EFC value generally below ~25 m s^（-1）d^（-1） are more favorable for a TC＇s intensification than those with extremely large EFC.

Dynamic structures and their sedimentation effects of the Yamen Inlet,Huangmaohai Estuary

One of eight gates of the Pearl River Estuary,the Yamen Inlet is a bedrock channel mouth connecting the Huangmao Sea and Yamen Channel.The wider water surfaces of the upper and lower reaches of the entrance produce a unique bidirectional asymmetrical jet system.Using observed hydrology and historical charts,the ECOMSED model was applied in morphodynamic analysis of the dynamic structures and dynamic equilibrium of the Yamen jet system and its effect on sedimentation.It was found that (1) the nonlinear interaction of Yamen dynamic structures could not be ignored,as while the Coriolis force and friction force were generally of the same order of magnitude,the effect of friction force was greater;(2) the bidirectional asymmetrical jet system was flood preferential flow to the north of the channel mouth and ebb preferential flow to the south;and (3) the bidirectional asymmetrical jet system was the dominant factor in the long term stability of the Yamen deep trough.

Improved method to analyze hyperspectral characteristics of coral reefs

Hyperspectral optimization process exemplar, a＆bb-based K model, and a water column correction model are used to process the hyperspectral data for detecting the subtle spectral difference of coral reefs. The water column correction model only tracks those effective photons by fully considering the geometrical distribution of the light field. The adaptivity of the parameters and models to the in situ data collected in Sanya Bay is evaluated. The modeled and uncorrected spectra are examined separately to reflect the coral reflectance, and the coefficients of determination for the relationships drops from 0.90 to 0.05. The retrieved bottom reflectance for 70 corals （Acropora, Porites） exhibited the classic chlorophyll features. The reflectance at 700 nm collected in Sanya Bay is relatively lower than the results conducted by other researchers. Peak ratio index and derivative analysis are utilized and are proved to be effective for coral reef classification and coral healthy assessment.