The role of Qiongzhou Strait in the seasonal variation of the South China Sea circulation

CORC > 海洋研究所 > 中国科学院海洋研究所 > 海洋环流与波动重点实验室

	The role of Qiongzhou Strait in the seasonal variation of the South China Sea circulation
	Shi, MC ; Chen, CS ; Xu, QC ; Lin, HC ; Liu, GM ; Wang, H; Wang, F; Yan, JH
刊名	JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
	2002
卷号	32 期号:1 页码:103-121
关键词	Stratified Tidal Rectification Finite-amplitude Banks Georges-bank Winter
ISSN号	0022-3670
文献子类	Article
英文摘要	An analysis of the water level and current data taken in Qiongzhou Strait in the South China Sea (SCS) over the last 37 years (1963 to 1999) was made to examine the characteristics of tidal waves and residual flow through the strait and their roles in the seasonal variation of the SCS circulation. The observations reveal that Qiongzhou Strait is an area where opposing tidal waves interact and a source of water transport to the Gulf of Beibu (Gulf of Tonkin), SCS. A year-round westward mean flow with a maximum speed of 10-40 cm s(-1) is found in Qiongzhou Strait. This accounts for water transport of 0.2-0.4 Sv and 0.1-0.2 Sv into the Gulf of Beibu in winter-spring and summer-autumn, respectively. The outflow from Qiongzhou Strait may cause up to 44% of the gulf water to be refreshed each season, suggesting that it has a significant impact on the seasonal circulation in the Gulf of Beibu. This finding is in contrast to our current understanding that the seasonal circulation patterns in the South China Sea are primarily driven by seasonal winds. Several numerical experiments were conducted to examine the physical mechanisms responsible for the formation of the westward mean flow in Qiongzhou Strait. The model provides a reasonable simulation of semidiurnal and diurnal tidal waves in the strait and the predicted residual flow generally agrees with the observed mean flow. An analysis of the momentum equations indicates that the strong westward flow is driven mainly by tidal rectification over variable bottom topography. Both observations and modeling suggest that the coastal physical processes associated with tidal rectification and buoyancy input must be taken into account when the mass balance of the SCS circulation is investigated, especially for the regional circulation in the Gulf of Beibu.; An analysis of the water level and current data taken in Qiongzhou Strait in the South China Sea (SCS) over the last 37 years (1963 to 1999) was made to examine the characteristics of tidal waves and residual flow through the strait and their roles in the seasonal variation of the SCS circulation. The observations reveal that Qiongzhou Strait is an area where opposing tidal waves interact and a source of water transport to the Gulf of Beibu (Gulf of Tonkin), SCS. A year-round westward mean flow with a maximum speed of 10-40 cm s(-1) is found in Qiongzhou Strait. This accounts for water transport of 0.2-0.4 Sv and 0.1-0.2 Sv into the Gulf of Beibu in winter-spring and summer-autumn, respectively. The outflow from Qiongzhou Strait may cause up to 44% of the gulf water to be refreshed each season, suggesting that it has a significant impact on the seasonal circulation in the Gulf of Beibu. This finding is in contrast to our current understanding that the seasonal circulation patterns in the South China Sea are primarily driven by seasonal winds. Several numerical experiments were conducted to examine the physical mechanisms responsible for the formation of the westward mean flow in Qiongzhou Strait. The model provides a reasonable simulation of semidiurnal and diurnal tidal waves in the strait and the predicted residual flow generally agrees with the observed mean flow. An analysis of the momentum equations indicates that the strong westward flow is driven mainly by tidal rectification over variable bottom topography. Both observations and modeling suggest that the coastal physical processes associated with tidal rectification and buoyancy input must be taken into account when the mass balance of the SCS circulation is investigated, especially for the regional circulation in the Gulf of Beibu.
学科主题	Oceanography
语种	英语
WOS记录号	WOS:000173257700005
公开日期	2010-12-22
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/2531]
专题	海洋研究所_海洋环流与波动重点实验室
作者单位	1.Univ Massachusetts Dartmouth, Sch Marine Sci & Technol, New Bedford, MA 02744 USA 2.Ocean Univ Qingdao, Dept Oceanog & Meteorol, Qingdao 266003, Peoples R China 3.Ocean Univ Qingdao, Inst Phys Oceanog, Qingdao 266003, Peoples R China 4.Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Dept Geol & Geophys, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA 5.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Oceanol, Qingdao, Peoples R China 6.SOA, Branch Bur S China Sea, Ctr Marine Survey Technol, Guangzhou, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Shi, MC,Chen, CS,Xu, QC,et al. The role of Qiongzhou Strait in the seasonal variation of the South China Sea circulation[J]. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY,2002,32(1):103-121.
APA	Shi, MC.,Chen, CS.,Xu, QC.,Lin, HC.,Liu, GM.,...&Yan, JH.(2002).The role of Qiongzhou Strait in the seasonal variation of the South China Sea circulation.JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY,32(1),103-121.
MLA	Shi, MC,et al."The role of Qiongzhou Strait in the seasonal variation of the South China Sea circulation".JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 32.1(2002):103-121.