Interannual variability of the surface summertime eastward jet in the <scp>S</scp>outh <scp>C</scp>hina <scp>S</scp>ea

Li, Yuanlong; Han, Weiqing; Wilkin, John; Zhang, Weifeng G.; Arango, Hernan G.; Zavala‐Garay, Javier; Levin, Julia; Castruccio, Frédéric

doi:10.1002/2014jc010206

Cited by 51 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 78 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…This can be detected in the climatological summer pattern (colorful streamlines in Figure a). Between these two gyres is a strong eastward current jet near 11°N, which is highly correlated with the summertime southwest monsoon [ Chen and Wang , ; Li et al ., ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, the current jet may be regarded as a component of the western boundary current (WBC) in the SCS [ Liu et al ., ]. As a major forcing of the SCS circulation, the Asian monsoon contributes to the intraseasonal [ Xie et al ., ], seasonal [ Fang et al ., ], interannual [ Chen and Wang , ; Li et al ., ], and interdecadal [ Wang et al ., ] variability of the eastward jet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of ENSO on an oceanic eddy pair in the South China Sea

Chu

2017

JGR Oceans

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An eddy pair off the Vietnam coast is one of the most important features of the summertime South China Sea circulation. Its variability is of interest due to its profound impact on regional climate, ecosystems, biological processes, and fisheries. This study examines the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a basin‐scale climatic mode, on the interannual variability of this regional eddy pair using satellite observational data and historical hydrographic measurements. Over the last three decades, the eddy pair strengthened in 1994 and 2002, and weakened in 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was absent in 1988, 1995, 1998, and 2010, coinciding with strong El Nino‐to‐La Nina transitions. Composite analyses showed that the strong transition events of ENSO led to radical changes in the summer monsoon, through the forcing of a unique sea surface temperature anomaly structure over the tropical Indo‐Pacific basin. With weaker zonal wind, a more northward wind direction, and the disappearance of a pair of positive and negative wind stress curls, the eastward current jet turns northward along the Vietnam coast and the eddy pair disappears.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of ENSO on an oceanic eddy pair in the South China Sea

Chu

2017

JGR Oceans

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“…In early decay years, strong southwesterly wind anomalies appear over the SCS in June–July (Figure a). Such winds intensify the Vietnam eastward jet that generates two gyres rotating in opposite directions, which promotes earlier formation of the Vietnam Eddy Pair with stronger intensity in summer (Chen et al, ; Chen & Wang, ; Li et al, ). As a result, the WAE weakens quickly and disappears earlier (Figure g).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Periodic Mesoscale Eddies in the South China Sea

Chu

Chen

2020

JGR Oceans

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Although numerous mesoscale eddies are observed in the South China Sea (SCS), a comprehensive study that focuses on periodic eddies has not yet been reported. Periodic eddies are a type of eddies that occur nearly annually in fixed time frames with similar patterns and trajectories. On the basis of in situ and satellite observations, this paper reports a periodic anticyclonic eddy in the western SCS (the Western SCS Anticyclonic Eddy, WAE) and elucidates the underlying processes responsible for its generation and evolution. The WAE is a seasonal phenomenon modulated by the Asian monsoon and basin-scale circulation. Usually, the WAE generates around 112°E, 14°N in February-March, induced by the cyclonic gyre in the northern SCS associated with the winter monsoon. The WAE occupies the western SCS for 5 months and finally dissipates in July due to the reversal of the monsoon and thus the circulation transition. The WAE shows important interannual variations associated with large-scale climate variation, and the Niño-3.4 index could be a potential predictor for its interannual variation. Finally, we summarize 13 periodic eddies in the SCS, including those unreported by previous studies. The period eddies in the SCS exhibit an inverse "L" shape vortex train structure along the western boundary and around the 17°N section, with an anticyclonic "phase" in summer and a cyclonic "phase" in winter. This study provides new knowledge for periodic eddies in the SCS and will benefit targeted observations of periodic eddies.Plain Language Summary Some mesoscale eddies in the ocean are observed to occur nearly annually, we here call them periodic eddies. Due to high occurrence rates, those periodic eddies have profound impacts on local physics, fishery, biology, and air-sea interaction. This study first reports a periodic anticyclonic eddy in the western South China Sea from in situ and satellite observations. By eddy reoccurrence rate, we then summarized all periodic eddies in the SCS. These eddies form the mean state of the mesoscale eddy field in the SCS. This study provides new knowledge for periodic eddies in the SCS and it also carries implications for future studies of periodic eddies in other regions.

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“…In the winter, driven by the northeasterly monsoon, the SCS is predominated by a strong cyclonic circulation in the upper layer [ Shaw and Chao , ; Fang et al ., ; Cai et al ., ; Gan et al ., ]. In the summer, with the prevailing southwesterly monsoon and a northeastward wind jet across the central basin from southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, there are a negative wind stress curl in the south and positive one in the north [ Xie et al ., ; Chen and Wang , ; Li et al ., ]. As a result, the wind stress curl dipole drives a double gyre in the basin, a strong anticyclonic circulation in the south and a relatively weak cyclonic circulation in the northwest, and forces an eastward offshore jet on the double gyre boundary between 10°N and 12°N (Figure b) [ Fang et al ., ; Metzger , ; Su , ; Xie et al ., ; Chen et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observed evidence of the anomalous South China Sea western boundary current during the summers of 2010 and 2011

et al. 2016

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Seven years of directly measured current data from a mooring in the Xisha area of the South China Sea (SCS), together with shipboard ADCP and satellite data, have shown the western boundary current (WBC) anomaly and its vertical structure during the summers of 2010 and 2011. The observed WBC presented obvious year‐to‐year variability, especially in the summer. Overall, the summer mean velocity at the mooring site over 7‐year (2007–2013) was northeastward. The moored ADCP showed that the northeastward velocity was particularly strong in the summer of 2010, but the increase was confined in the upper 120 m. In contrast, the northeastward current disappeared throughout the observed depth range (from 50 to 450 m) in the summer of 2011. Even at the deepest observed position, the monthly velocity anomalies reached 14 cm s−1 westward and 12 cm s−1 southward in the zonal and meridional directions, respectively. Both the Vietnam offshore current (VOC) and double gyres in the western SCS disappeared and the southern anticyclonic gyre expanded to strengthened the northward WBC in the summer of 2010. However, in summer of 2011, the VOC intensified, and the northern cyclonic gyre enlarged with its northern edge reaching 18°N, slightly north of mooring site, which weakened the northeastward WBC. The observed SCS circulation anomalies during 2010 and 2011 were mainly induced by the basin‐scale wind field anomalies associated with the 2009/2010 El Niño and 2010/2011 La Niña.

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Interannual variability of the surface summertime eastward jet in the South China Sea

Cited by 51 publications

References 78 publications

The influence of ENSO on an oceanic eddy pair in the South China Sea

The influence of ENSO on an oceanic eddy pair in the South China Sea

Periodic Mesoscale Eddies in the South China Sea

Observed evidence of the anomalous South China Sea western boundary current during the summers of 2010 and 2011

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