The summer and winter circulations in the South China Sea (SCS) including the surface elevation and water temperature are simulated using the model described by Cai and Li (1996) with the monthly mean wind stress and ...The summer and winter circulations in the South China Sea (SCS) including the surface elevation and water temperature are simulated using the model described by Cai and Li (1996) with the monthly mean wind stress and air temperature field at the 1000 mb level from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts as inputs. The boundary conditions at Bashi Channel and Taiwan Strait are taken from the simulation results of the Kuroshio using the same numerical model with a grid size of 0.5°×0.5° and the results of Cai and Li (1996) as boundary conditions. The computational domain for the present paper is between 100°E and 123°E and between 4.5°N and 27°N. The horizontal resolution is 0.25°×0.25° and the vertical variations of the velocity components are resolved by 6 layers The computed steady flow, temperature and elevation fields are consistent with the corresponding fields observed. In particular, the temperature and elevation fields of the South China Sea Warm Current (SCSWC) have been successfully simulated. The paths of the branch of the Kuroshio entering the South China Sea (SCSBK) through Bashi Channel in winter and summer are discussed It is found that the SCSBK flows southward to the southern SCS from the coast of the Guangdong Province. A portion of the SCSBK returns to the Bashi Channel and subdivides again in deep waters in winter with a branch flows to the south along the coast of the Philippines instead of flowing back to the Pacific In addition, our results confirm the existence of a eastward current to the northeast of Dongsha in summer with the Kuroshio as its source as suggested by Huang et al. Since the value of the eddy viscosity adopted for the simulation of the Kuroshio is on the high side, resulting in a weaker west boundary current in the western Pacific as the boundary conditions for the present simulations, some deviations from the actual situations are expected although the results are in general consistent with observations.展开更多
文摘The summer and winter circulations in the South China Sea (SCS) including the surface elevation and water temperature are simulated using the model described by Cai and Li (1996) with the monthly mean wind stress and air temperature field at the 1000 mb level from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts as inputs. The boundary conditions at Bashi Channel and Taiwan Strait are taken from the simulation results of the Kuroshio using the same numerical model with a grid size of 0.5°×0.5° and the results of Cai and Li (1996) as boundary conditions. The computational domain for the present paper is between 100°E and 123°E and between 4.5°N and 27°N. The horizontal resolution is 0.25°×0.25° and the vertical variations of the velocity components are resolved by 6 layers The computed steady flow, temperature and elevation fields are consistent with the corresponding fields observed. In particular, the temperature and elevation fields of the South China Sea Warm Current (SCSWC) have been successfully simulated. The paths of the branch of the Kuroshio entering the South China Sea (SCSBK) through Bashi Channel in winter and summer are discussed It is found that the SCSBK flows southward to the southern SCS from the coast of the Guangdong Province. A portion of the SCSBK returns to the Bashi Channel and subdivides again in deep waters in winter with a branch flows to the south along the coast of the Philippines instead of flowing back to the Pacific In addition, our results confirm the existence of a eastward current to the northeast of Dongsha in summer with the Kuroshio as its source as suggested by Huang et al. Since the value of the eddy viscosity adopted for the simulation of the Kuroshio is on the high side, resulting in a weaker west boundary current in the western Pacific as the boundary conditions for the present simulations, some deviations from the actual situations are expected although the results are in general consistent with observations.
