Interannual variability of the South China Sea throughflow inferred from wind data and an ocean data assimilation product

Wang, Dong Xiao; Liu, Qinyan; Huang, Rui Xin; Du, Yan; Qu, Tangdong

doi:10.1029/2006gl026316

Cited by 148 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The variability of SCSTF is mainly controlled by the equatorial Pacific wind stress on the interannual time scale [93]. The SCSTF increased and the ITF decreased after the 1976/77 climate shift [105], which is similar with their variations on interannual time scales [106].…”

Section: Implication Of the Scs Throughflow (Scstf)supporting

confidence: 63%

“…The Pacific water entering the SCS through the Luzon Strait can flow southward along the western boundary, and will re-enter into the Pacific as a surface current in the Makassar Strait after flowing out of the SCS through the Karimata Strait, which plays an important role to the heat transport of the ITF on the interannual time scale [92]. This circulation branch in the SCS connecting the Pacific and Indian oceans, which originates from the western Philippine Seas toward the Indonesian Seas through the SCS, as well as through the Karimata and Mindoro straits, is named as the SCSTF [93].…”

Section: Implication Of the Scs Throughflow (Scstf)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Progress of regional oceanography study associated with western boundary current in the South China Sea

et al. 2013

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Recent progress of physical oceanography in the South China Sea (SCS) associated with the western boundary current (WBC) and eddies is reviewed in this paper. It includes Argo observations of the WBC, eddy detection in the WBC based on satellite images, cross-continental shelf exchange in the WBC, eddy-current interaction, interannual variability of the WBC, air-sea interaction, the SCS throughflow (SCSTF), among others. The WBC in the SCS is strong, and its structure, variability and dynamic processes on seasonal and interannual time scales are yet to be fully understood. In this paper, we summarize progresses on the variability of the WBC, eddy-current interaction, air-sea interaction, and the SCSTF achieved in the past few years. Firstly, using the drifting buoy observations, we point out that the WBC becomes stronger and narrower after it reaches the central Vietnam coast. The possible mechanisms influencing the ocean circulation in the northern SCS are discussed, and the dynamic mechanisms that induce the countercurrent in the region of northern branch of WBC in winter are also studied quantitatively using momentum balance. The geostropic component of the WBC was diagnosed using the ship observation along 18°N, and we found that the WBC changed significantly on interannual time scale. Secondly, using the ship observations, two anti-cyclonic eddies in the winter of 2003/2004 in the northern SCS, and three anti-cyclonic eddies in the summer of 2007 along 18°N were studied. The results show that the two anti-cyclonic eddies can propagate southwestward along the continental shelf at the speed of first Rossby wave (~0.1 m s 1 ) in winter, and the interaction between the three anti-cyclonic eddies in summer and the WBC in the SCS is preliminarily revealed. Eddies on the continental shelf of northern SCS propagated southeastward with a maximum speed of 0.09 m s 1 , and those to the east of Vietnam coast had the largest kinetic energy, both of which imply strong interaction between eddy activity and WBC in the SCS. Thirdly, strong intraseasonal variability (ISV) of sea surface temperature (SST) near the WBC regions was found, and the ISV signal of SST in winter weakens the ISV signal of latent heat flux by 20%. Fourthly, the long-term change of SCSTF volume transport and its connection with the ocean circulation in the Pacific were discussed.South China Sea, western boundary current, eddy, eddy-current interaction, intraseasonal variability, South China Sea thoughflow Citation:Wang D X, Liu Q Y, Xie Q, et al. Progress of regional oceanography study associated with western boundary current in

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Section: Implication Of the Scs Throughflow (Scstf)supporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Implication Of the Scs Throughflow (Scstf)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress of regional oceanography study associated with western boundary current in the South China Sea

et al. 2013

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“…The SCS is a semi-closed basin below about 200 m. On the longterm average this heat and freshwater gain can only be balanced by horizontal advection, with inflow of cold and salty water through the Luzon strait and outflow of warm and fresh water through the Mindoro and Karimata straits. This circulation has been termed as the South China Sea throughflow (SCSTF) Wang et al 2006). The South China-Indonesian Seas Transport/Exchange (SITE) program in 2007-2016 measured the SCSTF in the Karimata and Sunda Strait (Fang et al 2010;Susanto et al 2013).…”

Section: Sources and Pathways Of The Itf Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Indonesian throughflow, its variability and centennial change

et al. 2018

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The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is an important component of the upper cell of the global overturning circulation that provides a low-latitude pathway for warm, fresh waters from the Pacific to enter the Indian Ocean. Variability and changes of the ITF have significant impacts on Indo-Pacific oceanography and global climate. In this paper, the observed features of the ITF and its interannual to decadal variability are reviewed, and processes that influence the centennial change of the ITF under the influence of the global warming are discussed. The ITF flows across a region that comprises the intersection of two ocean waveguides-those of the equatorial Pacific and equatorial Indian Ocean. The ITF geostrophic transport is stronger during La Niñas and weaker during El Niños due to the influences through the Pacific waveguide. The Indian Ocean wind variability associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in many years offsets the Pacific ENSO influences on the ITF geostrophic transport during the developing and mature phases of El Niño and La Niña through the Indian Ocean waveguide, due to the co-varying IOD variability with ENSO. Decadal and multi-decadal changes of the geostrophic ITF transport have been revealed: there was a weakening change from the mid-1970s climate regime shift followed by a strengthening trend of about 1Sv every 10 year during 1984-2013. These decadal changes are mostly due to the ITF responses to decadal variations of the trade winds in the Pacific. Thus, Godfrey's Island Rule, as well as other ITF proxies, appears to be able to quantify decadal variations of the ITF. Climate models project a weakening trend of the ITF under the global warming. Both climate models and downscaled ocean model show that this ITF weakening is not directly associated with the changes of the trade winds in the Pacific into the future, and the reduction of deep upwelling in the Pacific basin is mainly responsible for the ITF weakening. There is a need to amend the Island Rule to take into account the contributions from the overturning circulation which the current ITF proxies fail to capture. The implication of a weakened ITF on the Indo-Pacific Ocean circulation still needs to be assessed.

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“…The changes in ocean circulation and sea level associated with the monsoons are identified as the primary forcing mechanism of the SCSTF seasonal variability (Metzger and Hurlburt 1996). Meanwhile, its inter-annual as well as decadal variability are considered to be mainly governed by the ENSO Phenomenon (e.g., Qu et al 2004;Wang et al 2006b;Liu et al 2012). However, recent studies revealed that other large-scale phenomena such as the PDO also have a significant role in determining the low-frequency variability of the SCSTF (Yu and Qu 2013;Nan et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%