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Surface waves and internal tides have a great contribution to vertical mixing processes in the upper ocean. In this study, three mixing schemes, including non-breaking surface-wave-generated turbulent mixing, mixing induced by the wave transport flux residue and internal-tide-generated turbulent mixing, are introduced to study the effects surface waves and internal tides on vertical mixing. The three schemes are jointly incorporated into the Marine Science and Numerical Modeling (MASNUM) ocean circulation model as a part of the vertical diffusive terms, which are calculated by the surface wave parameters simulated from the MASNUM wave model and the surface amplitudes of the mode-1 M 2 internal tides extracted from satellite altimetry data using a two-dimensional plane wave fit method. The effects of the mixing schemes on Indian Ocean modeling are tested by five climatological experiments. The surface waves and internal tides enhance the vertical mixing processes in the sea surface and ocean interior, respectively. The combination of the mixing schemes is able to strengthen the vertical water exchange and draw more water from the sea surface to the ocean interior. The simulated results show significant improvement in the thermal structure, mixed layer depth and surface currents if the three schemes are all adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent satellite sea surface height (SSH) and sea surface temperature (SST) observations have shown that abnormal eddies, that is, warm cyclonic eddies and cold anticyclonic eddies occur sporadically in some regions, which triggers an essential question on the spatiotemporal distribution of abnormal eddies in the global ocean. In this study, a deep learning framework was developed to systematically mine information from the synergy of satellite‐sensed global SSH and SST data over the 1996–2015, 20‐year period. Abnormal eddies account for a surprising one‐third of total eddies and are active along the Equatorial Current and high unstable currents. Normal (abnormal) eddies are stronger in winter (summer) in the North Hemisphere and vice versa in the Southern Hemisphere. The annual mean amplitudes of normal eddies are larger than that of abnormal eddies. Crucially, the daily number of normal (abnormal) eddies increased (decreased) 9.68 (11.80) every year. Plain Language Summary: Mesoscale eddies are broadly distributed in the global ocean and play a significant role in transporting energy, heat, and mass. This study is the first to demonstrate characteristics of both normal eddies (cold cyclonic eddies and warm anticyclonic eddies) and abnormal eddies (warm cyclonic eddies and cold anticyclonic eddies) in the global ocean. The study developed a deep learning‐based model to detect normal and abnormal eddies from the synergy of 20‐year satellite‐derived global sea surface height and sea surface temperature observations. Abnormal eddies account for a surprising one‐third of total eddies in the global ocean. Besides, the increase of normal eddies' number and the decrease of abnormal eddies' number are proposed to be related with the long‐term variation trend of ocean currents in the global ocean. Key Points: Abnormal eddies (warm cyclonic eddies and cold anticyclonic eddies) account for a surprising one‐third of total eddies in the global oceanThe spatiotemporal variabilities of abnormal eddies are significantly different from those of normal eddies in the global oceanThe daily number of normal (abnormal) eddies has an increasing (decreasing) trend during 1996–2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel vertical mixing scheme to describe the influence of the non-breaking surface waves in ocean general circulation models is proposed based on the second-order turbulence closure model and a mathematical relationship fitted between the in situ observations of the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate and the calculated velocity shear module of non-breaking surface waves. The non-breaking-wave-generated turbulence mixing coefficients can be calculated empirically in terms of the wave spectral parameters including ΦSW, K, and ω, where ΦSW is the wave number spectrum of the significant wave height, K is the wave number, ω is the surface wave frequency. The effect of the new mixing scheme on global ocean circulation simulation was tested using the MArine Science and NUmerical Modeling ocean model. The results indicate significant improvement in the upper-ocean temperature structure and the mixed layer depth, i.e., the non-breaking-wave-generated turbulence mixing plays an important role in the upper ocean at high latitudes in summer for both hemispheres compared with traditional Mellor-Yamada 2.5 scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The interaction of coastal water in I-Lan Bay, a bay near northeast Taiwan, and the Kuroshio Current is studied using the data from hydrologic survey and satellite remote sensing. An index for water mass distinguished is used for clarifying the origin of water mass in I-Lan Bay. The velocity profile from acoustic Doppler current profile data indicates a countercurrent that flows southward along the northeast coast of Taiwan toward I-Lan Bay with a speed around 0.1–0.2 m/s. The index of water mass indicates that the water of I-Lan Bay is mainly affected by the northern shelf waters of Taiwan and mixed with Kuroshio nearshore water, thus forming a clear ocean front between these two areas. The near surface water temperature in the I-Lan Bay is about 2 °C lower than that in the Kuroshio region. The seasonal average near surface salinity of I-Lan Bay can exist 0.4 psu fresher than the Kuroshio area. From the analysis of dynamic process, the coastal countercurrent in I-Lan Bay is primarily affected by 1) the occurrence of cold dome in northeast of Taiwan mainly occurs in summer, and 2) the wind-driven current from the Taiwan Strait along the north coast and the northeast coast of Taiwan caused by the southwesterly monsoon makes the countercurrents strongly in summer. The dynamics of the countercurrent occurrence can be explained by the Ekman transport theory. Highlights • Ship-board acoustic Doppler current profiles are used to observe flow structure from I-Lan Bay to Kuroshio region. • Simplified index of water mass based on CTD data isused to analyze compositions and source of water in I-Lan Bay. • The water of I-Lan Bay is mainly affected by the northern shelf waters of Taiwan and mixed with Kuroshio nearshore water. • Dynamic processes of the occurrence of countercurrent in I-Lan Bay are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses high resolution MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) satellite data to analyze sub-mesoscale ocean vortex trains (OVTs) in the western boundary of the South China Sea (SCS). Thirteen cases of vortex trains on the lee side of the Phú Quý Island were observed in the boreal summer from May to August of 2005−2010. The average diameter of the vortices is 28.1 ± 13.8 km. The average spacing distance estimated between two consecutive vortices is 66.3 ± 27.8 km. The dynamic parameters of a case observed on July 26, 2009 were extracted using a theoretical model. The aspect ratio is 2.8. The ratio of the propagation velocity of the vortex to the undisturbed flow velocity is 0.73. We use a nested high-resolution numerical model with the finest grid of 500 m, to analyze the dynamics of OVT induced by the local topography in the western SCS (WSCS). The results give a propagation velocity of vortex 0.49 of m s −1 and a mean current velocity of undisturbed flow 0.58 m s −1 . Therefore, the ratio is 0.84. The shedding frequency is determined to be 1.14 × 10 −5  s −1 , corresponding to 1.02 day. The results also suggest that the sub-mesoscale cyclonic vortices along the OVT in the WSCS are characterized by low temperature and high Rossby number. The strong vertical vorticity and associated horizontal velocity shear of an individual vortex brings uplifted cold water on its leading side and warm water on its trailing side, which could drive an enhanced vertical exchange between the surface and oceanic interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the mechanism of mesoscale eddies observed in the South China Sea (SCS) deep basin, which are characterized by high-frequency occurrence, long life, and regular distribution patterns. Geophysical fluid dynamics predicts that for an enclosed ocean basin, there exist the Rossby normal modes if considering the Earth rotation effect. We use a rectangular ocean basin with a uniform depth to simulate the SCS deep basin and obtain 2D (x - y) sea level distribution patterns of the Rossby normal modes, consisting of alternating cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, as well as their dynamic parameters. The periods of the modes are evidenced by the Fourier period power density spectra of satellite altimeter sea level anomaly (SLA) data from 1993 to 2015. The 2D normal mode patterns are evidenced by SLA images. The phase speeds are evidenced by that derived from the westward movement of the wave/eddy patterns on SLA time-series images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive investigation of the typhoon induced upper ocean processes and responses off northeastern Taiwan was conducted. Using the Regional Ocean Modeling System, the upper ocean responses of all typhoons striking Taiwan between 2005 and 2013 were simulated. In addition to Kuroshio intrusion, the present study demonstrates another important mechanism of typhoon induced near-inertial currents over the continental shelf of East China Sea, which can also trigger a distinct cooling (through entrainment mixing) within this region. Results indicate that the processes of typhoon inducing distinct cooling off northeastern Taiwan are conditional phenomena (only ∼12% of typhoons passing Taiwan triggered extreme cooling there). Subsequently, by executing a series of sensitivity experiments and systematic analyses on the behaviors and background conditions of all those typhoon cases, key criteria determining the occurrences of cooling through both mechanisms were elucidated. Occurrences of cooling through the Kuroshio intrusion mechanism are determined mainly by the strength of the local wind over northeastern Taiwan. A distinct cooling triggered by enhanced near-inertial currents is shown to be associated with the process of wind-current resonance. Both processes of Kuroshio intrusion and enhanced near-inertial currents are dominated by wind forcing rather than upper oceanic conditions. Based on the recent findings on the possible dynamic linkage between sea surface temperature near northeast Taiwan and local weather systems, the results elucidated in this study lay the foundation for further improvement in the regional weather prediction surrounding northeast Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a model of radar backscattering from rain-generated stalks on the ocean surface in a rain field is proposed. In the model, stalks in the rain field form an array and are considered as finite water cylinders standing out of an infinite water surface. The radar backscattering coefficient from these stalks is derived. Both incoherent and coherent backscattering mechanisms from the stalks are considered. The model shows that the radar backscattering intensity is a function of the average distance between stalks on the water surface, the radar wave frequency, and the incident angle of radar waves. For light/moderate rain (at low rain rates), the radar backscattering intensity increases with increasing rain rate. For heavy rain (at high rain rates), the radar backscattering intensity decreases with increasing rain rate. The maximum radar backscattering intensity occurs at a rain rate that depends on the radar wave frequency and the incident angle of radar waves. The present model is used to explain the radar signatures of a rainfall event simultaneously observed by C-band ENVISAT (European satellite) Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and ground-based weather radar in the Northwest Pacific. The relationship between the radar return intensity extracted from the C-band ASAR image and the rain rate obtained from ground-based weather radar is in agreement with the model’s calculation. Also, the air–sea interface in rain fields and its effects on the attenuation of radar backscattering are experimentally studied in the laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, we analyze the influence of coastal upwelling off southeast Vietnam (CUEV) on local wind field using numerical simulations based on atmospheric model of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF). Several scenarios are simulated by forcing identical model configurations with different SST fields. Based on simulation results, the relationship between CUEV and reduction of wind forcing is numerically evidenced. With the influence of a typical cold patch with a temperature drop of 3–5 °C, the local wind speeds can drop to less than 70% of original level. We find that the mechanism of response of the wind reduction to CUEV is enhancement of sea-breeze induced wind modulation. Onshore sea-breeze will enhance, while the contrast between land and sea is even more striking due to the contribution of a distinct coastal upwelling. This implies that air-sea-land interaction dominates the process of local wind system modulation in response to transient CUEV. This result sheds a new light on the air-sea interaction process within the SCS basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the physical properties and 3D structures of the wave motions with finite wavelengths of O(100-550) km in the tropical western North Pacific and their variation as propagating from the Pacific to the South China Sea (SCS) using conductivity-temperature-depth observations taken in October and November 2005 and concurrent satellite altimeter data. Three wave components with wavelength bands of O(100), O(200), and O(550) km are derived from the isopycnal undulation signals along 21°, 18°, and 15°N using the ensemble empirical mode decomposition analysis. Their maximum amplitudes are over 100 m in the layer of 1000-2000 m. Phase speeds are derived from cruise-observed vertical profiles of zonal-mean geostrophic flow velocity and the Brunt-Väisälä frequency based on linear quasigeostrophic wave theory with background flow and topography. The speeds are also derived from concurrent sea level anomaly data with the objective Radon transform method. They are close to that of the first baroclinic mode of theoretical solutions, implying that the observed wave motions possess the physical properties of Rossby waves (RWs). The vertical structures of the first generalized modes are derived from cruise observations at three sections. It is shown that the RWs continuously propagate from the Pacific to the SCS, and the available potential energy of RWs 1 and 2 intensify 3-4 times in the Luzon Strait and the SCS compared to that in the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with winter storm-induced continental shelf waves (CSWs) in the northern South China Sea in winter 2009 using tidal gauge data and along-track satellite altimeter data. The results show that the periods of CSWs propagating along the coast from Kanmen to Shuidong are in bands of 62 and 133 h. The phase speeds are in a range from 8 to 13 m s −1 between Kanmen and Shantou, from 9 to 11 m s −1 between Shantou and Huizhou and from 10 to 15 m s −1 between Huizhou and Shuidong, respectively. Satellite altimeter captured along-track sea level anomaly during the CSW events. Further analysis using the theoretical cross-shore CSW modes to fit the along-track sea level anomaly data indicates that the first three wave modes play important roles during the CSW events and the first mode is a dominant component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to gain insight into the sea level response to typhoon in the northern South China Sea using typhoon records from 1978 to 1997, simultaneous tidal gauge records and satellite altimeter along-track sea level data. We find that the ocean sea level response signatures in the deep water agree well with a single sea level soliton, of which the average soliton amplitude is (34 ± 6) cm and the average characteristic half width is (115 ± 12) km. Evolution of the single soliton as propagating across a shoaling bottom topography obeys solutions of the perturbed Korteweg and de Vries equation. The solutions reveal that forced by the hyperbolic-tangent-shaped topography, the single soliton evolves to a solitary wave packet consisting of a large leading soliton and smaller following waves in an oscillatory tail as approaching the shallow water. This phenomenon is verified by observed sea level signatures of 19 storm surges. The correlation coefficient between theoretical solution and observations is as high as 0.91. Meanwhile, the soliton amplitude grows with a soliton amplitude growth ratio (SAGR), which depends on the deep water and shallow water depths. However, without consideration of viscous effects, the SAGR model overestimates the soliton amplitude growth. Thus the vorticity equation for viscous fluid is adopted to solve this issue. The results indicate that turbulent viscosities are responsible to soliton amplitude decay concurring with the growth and causes dependence of the storm surge amplitude on the typhoon incident angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines the horizontal scale and spatial characteristics of island-induced ocean vortex trains (IOVTs) in the Kuroshio region southeast of Taiwan Island using European remote sensing satellite ERS-1 SAR imagery. US Aqua satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are used to analyze the sea surface temperature (SST) features of the study area. Seasonal composites of SST images show that the IOVTs are current-induced vortexes rather than wind-induced ones. Furthermore, using the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model/Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (HYCOM/NCODA) system that generated current and sea surface height anomaly data, the temporal and spatial variability of the Green Island IOVTs is analyzed. The variability of IOVTs within this region shows a distinct seasonality. This seasonal variability of IOVTs is closely associated with the shoreward shift of Kuroshio mainstream driven by the winter northeasterly monsoon. This scenario is verified by vector empirical orthogonal function analysis focused on the weak IOVT period in 2012. In addition to meandering of the Kuroshio, westward-propagating mesoscale eddies and the arrival of typhoons play an important role in modifying the variability of IOVTs at intraseasonal timescale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The seepage field generated by suction penetration of a bucket foundation into sea floor is numerically simulated with a finite element method. The water head and its gradient on both sides of the bucket wall in the seepage field are computed and the results are applied to the calculation of penetration resistance versus penetration depth. Also, allowable suction pressures with various penetration depths are provided for platform installation. The engineering parameters given in this paper were adopted in the design of the first platform (CB20B) with suction-penetrated buckets as foundations in China. This platform has successfully been launched into operation for the offshore oilfield development at the Yellow River Submersed Delta. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we examine the behavior of the Vietnam coastal upwelling during the 1997–1998 El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. The baseline is 4 years of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sea surface temperature (SST) data taken from 1997 to 2000. Comparison of upwelling images to simultaneous ERS-2 (European Remote Sensing Satellite) wind fields indicates that the summer monsoon winds constitute a major generation forcing. During the 1997 El Niño, the monsoon winds enhanced the upwelling and induced the upwelling center to move southward. During the 1998 La Niña, the monsoon winds weakened the upwelling. In contrast with the tropical Pacific, in the study area, La Niña implies a warm event and El Niño a cold event. We use empirical orthogonal function (EOF) methods to analyze the spatial and temporal variance of the upwelling. The three principal modes account for 37%, 15%, and 8% of the total variance, respectively. The first EOF modes reveal that the SST variance in the north and south subregions underwent a positive–negative sign switch in summer 1997. The second EOF modes represent the monthly evolution in normal years. The third modes seem to be sensitive to the 1998 La Niña event. Simultaneous TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-2 altimeter data provide further evidence for our analysis. Comparison with California coastal upwelling and mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) coastal upwelling indicates that the Vietnam coastal upwelling is the most intensive one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor data from September 1997 to November 2001 were used to observe upwelling south of Madagascar. From Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis, we found that the upwelling is enhanced in austral winter each year except 1999 and in austral summer each year except 2001. Current and wind stress are the mechanisms to cause the upwelling. The upwelling borders on the East Madagascar Current in the east and south. The movement and deformation of the boundary between the two contain the information of their interaction. Mechanism of the interaction can be explained by the shear wave propagation theory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The mean of the sea level deviation data derived from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter in the equatorial Pacific, between 10&degS and 10&degN, and between 120&degE and 78&degW, from cycles 2 to 136 (3 October 1992--2 June 1996), are extracted using a maximum-minimum average method. Then, two-dimensional (2D) sea level deviation time series are developed to visualize the dynamics of equatorial waves. The complex singular value decomposition (CSVD) method is applied to decompose these 2D time series into empirical orthogonal modes. Using this method, zonal and meridional structures, propagation directions, periods, and propagation speeds of these empirical modes are obtained. The first empirical mode is propagating westward, and its structure is asymmetric to the equator. It has an average phase speed c= -0.6 m s[sup-1] within 4&deg--6&degN and c= -0.4 m s[sup-1] within 6&deg--8&degS, respectively, and a period of 15 months, which is associated with an interannual Rossby wave. The second empirical mode is propagating eastward along the equator and has a phase speed of 2.5 m s[sup-1] and a period of 7 months, which is associated with an equatorial Kelvin wave. The asymmetric feature of the empirical Rossby wave, which is also observed in the equatorial Pacific, may suggest that the background currents and wind fields in the equatorial Pacific Ocean affect its propagation. The amplitude of the empirical Kelvin mode increases as it propagates eastward. This is associated with an eastward shoaling of the thermocline depth along the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The results of both empirical modes are consistent with those predicted by the theory of Kelvin and Rossby waves and closely represent the actual features of both waves observed in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Therefore, the CSVD is a suitable method for revealing the dynamics of equatorial waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of mesoscale eddies is crucial for understanding the ocean energy cascade. In this study, using global reanalysis sea surface velocity data and a mesoscale eddy trajectory product tracked by satellite altimeters, we aimed to reveal the coherence of eddy kinetic energy (EKE) variation to low-frequency ageostrophic energy during the eddy life span. The variation in EKE throughout the eddy life span was highly coherent to that of the seven-day low-passed ageostrophic kinetic energy, with a correlation coefficient of −0.94. The low-frequency ageostrophic motions supplied 38% of the EKE variation in the growing stage of mesoscale eddies and absorbed 42% in the decaying stage. The evolution rate of the EKE during the eddy life span was consistent with the barotropic conversion rate of the low-frequency ageostrophic motions, further confirming the dominant role of low-frequency ageostrophic motions in eddy growth and decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean color elements refer to total suspended sediment (TSS) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), which are important parameters for the marine ecological environment. This study aims to examine the behavior of ocean color elements in response to a tropical cyclone in the case of typhoon Mangkhut (2018), which passed over the northern South China Sea (NSCS) on 16 September 2018, using satellite multi-sensor observations, Argo float profiles, and tidal gauge sea level data. The results indicate that typhoon Mangkhut (2018) resulted in TSS and Chl-a concentrations increasing, with the spatial and timing behavior different in the offshore, shelf, and basin areas. In the offshore area from the coast to isobath 50 m, the mean TSS concentration, i.e., CTSS, reached 13.9 mg/L on 18 September 2018, two days after typhoon landfall, against about 3.5 mg/L before typhoon landfall. In the shelf area with depths from 50 m to 100 m, the mean CTSS reached 2.5 mg/L, against about 0.8 mg/L before typhoon landfall. In the basin area with depths of 100 m and beyond, the mean CTSS had only a little fluctuation. On the other hand, in the offshore area, the mean Chl-a concentration, i.e., CChl-a, was 7.3 mg/m3 on 21 September, five days after typhoon landfall, against 2.4 mg/m3 as the monthly mean value. Furthermore, TSS concentrations favorable for Chl-a bloom range from 6 to 7 mg/L in this area. In the shelf area, the mean CChl-a increased from 0.2 mg/m3 to 0.6 mg/m3 in two days. In the basin area, the CChl-a increased from 0.1 mg/m3 to 0.2 mg/m3 during typhoon passage. Concurrent dynamic condition analysis results indicate that, in the offshore area, typhoon-induced solitary continental waves may play a dominant role in determining the spatial distribution features of the TSS originating from the Pearl River runoff. The Chl-a bloom delayed rather than concurrently occurred with the terrigenous nutrient peak, which is attributed to the nonlinear relation between CChl-a and CTSS. In the shelf and basin areas, typhoon-enhanced vertical mixing and upwelling may play dominant roles in determining the spatiotemporal behavior of the TSS and the Chl-a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, to investigate the synoptic time-scale variability of sediment temperature profile and sound speed in shallow seas, one-month-long in situ observations were conducted in Jiaozhou Bay using a newly designed sediment measurement system. A typhoon passage and a heavy rainfall process were captured during the observation. The sediment temperature increased immediately after the significant bottom water temperature increase induced by typhoon passage. A significant increase in the sediment warming rate could be identified at a depth as deep as 0.8 m below seafloor (mbs), and a significant increase in downward sediment heat flux at 0.5 mbs lasted until five days after the typhoon passed. The sediment sound speed was also observed to decrease or increase as soon as the bottom water salinity significantly decreased or the bottom water temperature significantly increased. Moreover, the pore water salinity—which can affect the sediment sound speed—cannot be conducted like heat but can be changed only by diffusion or convection processes, and the static diffusion of salt was too slow for the observed sediment sound speed variation; we therefore conclude that in addition to heat conduction, the pore water convection may play an important role in the synoptic time-scale variations of the sediment temperature and sound speed, which is also consistent with the simulation results. • Synoptic time-scale variability of sediment is derived from in situ observations. • Sediment temperature profile and sound speed respond quickly to weather process. • Both heat conduct and pore water convection contribute to synoptic sediment variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the variations in flow patterns in the northern Taiwan Strait in summer using high-frequency (HF) radar measurements, satellite-tracked drifter trajectories and numerical models. There is an obvious interaction between intra-diurnal tides and ocean currents in northwestern Taiwan. When the tide changes between high tide and low tide, the change in direction of the nearshore flow occurs before the change in the offshore flow. Drifter trajectories show that there are three different drifting paths in the Taiwan Strait in summer. One path is along the west coast of Taiwan from the southwest coast to the northeast coast. Another path is the same as the first one but leads northward to the East China Sea instead of eastward to the northeast coast of Taiwan. The other path exists along the west coast of Taiwan, some distance out, after being deflected by the bottom ridge. The regional ocean modeling system model was used in this study to clarify the influencing factors that lead to these three paths. The results of multiple simulations and HF radar data indicate that the bifurcation of the first two drift paths in northwestern Taiwan is caused by ebb and flood tide transitions. The different routes of the latter two paths are due to the significant speed difference between the nearshore current and the offshore current approximately 45 km from the coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial and temporal variability of the Kuroshio surface axis northeast of Taiwan Island is investigated using 24 years of surface geostrophic currents derived from satellite altimeter data from 1993 to 2016. The Kuroshio surface axis is derived by an extraction method with three selected parameters, including the length of the subsidiary line, the intervals between two adjacent points, and the distance between the two adjacent subsidiary lines. The empirical mode decomposition analysis on the 24-year Kuroshio axes reveals that the mean periods of intra-seasonal and inter-annual variability, which are the two dominant components, are about 3.2 months and 1.3 years, respectively. The self-organizing map analysis reveals that the variation of Kuroshio axis northeast of Taiwan Island has four best matching unit (BMU) patterns: straight-path (BMUS), meandering-path (BMUM) and two transition stages (BMUT1 and BMUT2). The straight-path pattern shows strong seasonality: more likely occurring in summer. The meandering-path pattern is less frequent than straight-path pattern. During a typical period from November 26, 2012 to January 27, 2013, which is chosen as an independent example, the analysis on the satellite altimeter and sea surface temperature data shows that the patterns of the Kuroshio axis change successively in order of BMUT1→BMUM→BMUT2→BMUS, i.e., the Kuroshio axis migrates from the meandering-path to the straight-path pattern. During the typical period the warm water intrusion and a mesoscale eddy occur at the second stage corresponding to BMUM and migrate northwestward gradually at the last two stages corresponding to BMUT2 and BMUS. The transient order appears only during this typical period but it is not common for the whole study period. The monthly mean relatively vorticity is calculated and analyzed to evaluate the impact of the eddies on the Kuroshio surface axis variability, the results show that the anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies can promote the Kuroshio surface axis to present the meandering-path (straight-path) pattern because of the potential vorticity conservation. The impacts of the anticyclonic eddies and the cyclonic eddies on the variability of the Kuroshio surface axis are opposite. The long-term day-to-day detection contributes to improving understanding the variability of Kuroshio surface axis northeast of Taiwan Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Nanmadol interacted with the Kuroshio in a western boundary gap within two days. • Experiments were performed to demonstrate the importance of the ocean feedback. • Changes in the thermal structure and momentum budget in the LS is revealed. Abstract In this study, a coupled ocean–atmosphere model was used to simulate the evolution of Typhoon Nanmadol (2011), an intense typhoon that drifted over the Kuroshio Current over a 2-day period, encountering land twice, once in the Philippines and once in Taiwan. Sensitivity experiments were performed to elucidate the influence of the three-dimensional ocean structure on predictions of typhoon intensity, with a focus on the interaction between the typhoon and the Kuroshio Current in the Luzon Strait (LS) and the unique path of Nanmadol. The cooling of the sea surface, which was associated with frontal movement in the LS, significantly reduced the intensity of the typhoon. The improved predictions of Nanmodal's intensity resulting from this complex interaction between the ocean and atmosphere occur only in model runs which include full two-way coupling between oceanic and atmospheric processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous generation of near-inertial waves (NIWs) from quasi-geostrophic mesoscale eddies in a stratified fluid is investigated and the process and mechanism clarified by numerical modeling and a theoretical analysis. Mesoscale eddies, as slow balance flows, are inevitably accompanied by unbalanced near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) in their long period evolution. A mesoscale eddy supplies kinetic energy to NIOs through its interaction with perturbations, which exist universally in the world oceans. Afterward, NIWs are generated spontaneously via the nonlinear coupling of the eddy and NIOs. The baroclinicity of mesoscale eddies is an essential condition of this spontaneous NIW generation mechanism. The resonance of the NIWs and NIOs enables the internal wave continuum to be dominated by NIWs, which share the same horizontal wavenumbers with the eddy. After generation, the NIWs radiate energy toward the eddy center and remain stationary as a whole, relative to the propagating eddy. Generally, an anticyclonic mesoscale eddy can emit much stronger NIWs than does a cyclonic eddy. The NIW intensity strengthens exponentially with the Rossby number. The essence of this spontaneous NIW generation mechanism is the nonlinear interaction between slow balance flows and the accompanying fast motions. It represents an effective pathway for mesoscale eddy energy sinks and makes a non-negligible contribution to the global NIW energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-sensor data from different satellites were analysed to study the interannual variability of the cold domes northeast of Taiwan. From the empirical orthogonal function analysis of along-track satellite altimeter data and sea surface temperature, both revealed a cold dome phenomenon located at approximately 122°36´E and 25°24´N, and their principal components demonstrated a variation of 4-6 years. The cold dome variation correlates best with the Oceanic Niño index and poorly with Pacific Decadal Oscillation index. The forcing could be wind stress curl and Kuroshio volume transport, which produce an upwelling around the Men-Hua Canyon. Positive wind stress curl and the on-shelf water transport of the Kuroshio Current through the North Men-Hua Canyon increase the chance of the cold dome formation which may be responsible for the interannual variability of cold domes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we used satellite observations, in-situ measurements, and numerical modelling to investigate an extreme temperature change triggered by a typhoon in the ocean near the Kuroshio region off eastern Taiwan. With the westward passage of Typhoon Morakot in 2009 through Taiwan, a distinct cool wake was generated at the southeastern corner of Taiwan (CWSET) and moved towards the downstream Kuroshio region; it involved a precipitous cooling of at least 4 °C within 10–20 km of the coast. Rapid and drastic temperature drops triggered by the CWSET and advected by the strong conveyor belt effect of the Kuroshio Current are highly probable sources of cold shocks in summer. We clarified the mechanism that generated the CWSET through a series of sensitivity experiments using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System. The cold shock was mainly triggered by local wind stress associated with the typhoon. In addition, the Kuroshio Current was demonstrated to have played a crucial role in both the generation of upwelling off the southeastern coast of Taiwan during the passage of the typhoon and the transporting of this impact downstream. This process was verified through a systematic analysis of all typhoons moving westward through Taiwan from 2005 to 2013. Cold-shock stress is thought to be linked with naturally occurring ‘fish kills’, and obtaining a more thorough understanding of the CWSET will be helpful for protecting aquaculture off the eastern coast of Taiwan from the impacts of cold shocks triggered by typhoons moving westward through Taiwan in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous in situ observations have suggested that bottom water temperature variations in shelf seas can drive significant ocean bottom heat flux (BHF) by heat conduction. The BHF-driven bottom water temperature variations, however, have been overlooked in ocean general circulation models. In this study, we established a sea-sediment fully coupled model through incorporating the BHF. The coupled model included a sediment temperature module/model, and the BHF was calculated based on the sediment heat content variations. Meanwhile, we applied temporally varying BHF in the calculation of the bottom water temperature, which further determined the sediment temperature. The two-way coupled BHF process presents a more complete and physically reasonable heat budget in the ocean model and a synchronously varying sediment temperature profile. The coupled model was validated using a one-dimensional test case, and then it was applied in a domain covering the Bohai and Yellow Seas. The results suggest that when a strong thermocline exists, the BHF can change the bottom water temperature by more than 1°C because the effects of the BHF are limited to within a shallow bottom layer. However, when the water column is well mixed, the BHF changes the temperature of the entire water column, and the heat transported across the bottom boundary is ventilated to the atmosphere. Thus, the BHF has less effect on water temperature and may directly affect air–sea heat flux. The sea-sediment interactions dampen the amplitude of the bottom water temperature variations, which we propose calling the seabed dampening ocean heat content variation mechanism (SDH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cruise observations and reanalysis data, this study analyzes the effects of wind, freshwater, and turbulent mixing on the two upwellings: one is off the eastern coast of Hainan Island (HEU) and the other is off the northeastern coast of Hainan Island (HNEU). During the cruise in 2009, the HNEU occurred with southwesterly to southeasterly wind. The relative large values of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and diffusivity estimated from the Thorpe scale indicate that the upwelling water is further uplifted to the surface by strong turbulent mixing in the HNEU region. But the HEU was not observed under the southeasterly wind. During the cruise in 2012, the HNEU disappeared in the upper layer with freshwater covered and southeasterly wind, while the apparent HEU only accompanied with southwesterly wind. To obtain the general characteristics, we define three types of upwelling patterns, i.e., the intensified HEU, the intensified HNEU, and both HEU and HNEU in one day, using the reanalysis data. The composites of sea surface temperature (SST), wind, and precipitate for each upwelling pattern identify that the HNEU is associated with the prevailing southeasterly wind and can be limited in the lower layer when it is covered by freshwater. But the HEU is mainly driven by southwesterly wind but is not remarkably affected by freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) is an essential ecological indicator, and affected by processes such as typhoons, mesoscale eddies, and Rossby waves. However, the impact of more frequent and widespread precipitation events on Chl- a seems to be overlooked. This study utilized remote sensing data and reanalysis data to investigate the response of Chl- a to 240 precipitation events in the central South China Sea from 2005 to 2019. The results indicate that precipitation events have a significant impact on Chl- a concentration. Following a precipitation event in 2019, the Chl- a concentration in the affected area increased by approximately 0.22 mg m−³ from the 3rd to the 7th day. The reasons for the increase in Chl- a concentration were the vertical mixing induced by wind stirring and the upwelling caused by wind stress curl, which transported nutrients to the euphotic zone, lowering the sea surface temperature and triggering a proliferation of phytoplankton. Additionally, dissolved nutrients in precipitation provided a nutrient source for Chl- a growth. The contributions of nutrient supply, wind speed, and wind stress curl to the increase in Chl- a concentration during precipitation events were 18%, 37%, and 45%, respectively. Precipitation events enhanced marine primary productivity, playing a crucial role in deepening our understanding of ocean-atmosphere interactions and their impact on marine ecosystem. • Higher chlorophyll-a concentration blooms are observed in summer and winter in the South China Sea. • The contributions of precipitation, wind speed, and wind stress curl to the increment of chlorophyll-a concentration are 18%, 37%, and 45%, respectively. • The strongest chlorophyll-a response after winter rainfall events occurs in 2013 and 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using five mooring array observations in the coastal water of the East China Sea (ECS) in winter 2006, the authors identify three kinds of low-frequency waves using the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method. The analysis indicates that the periods of the waves varied from 2 to 10 days, which are consistent with coastal-trapped wave (CTW) modes: the Kelvin wave (KW) mode, the first shelf wave (SW1) mode, and the second shelf wave (SW2) mode. An analytical model is established and the dispersion relation of the waves from the analytical method agrees well with the observations. The wind-forced, coastal-trapped wave theory is then applied. The calculation shows that over a wide shelf, the forcing term of wind stress curl plays an important role in shaping the CTW. Numerical solutions reproduce the sea level variation and the alongshore current. The results show that the sea level variation mainly resulted from the KW mode, but the alongshore current resulted from both the KW and SW1 modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China‐France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) launched in 2018 is equipped with the Chinese Scatterometer (CSCAT), which is designed to measure high‐precision sea surface wind fields in the global ocean. This study aims to validate the CFOSAT wind fields with moored buoy‐measured ground truth data from August 2019 to July 2021. The test area was chosen as the Taiwan Strait, which is an important navigation channel and rich fishery grounds in the East Asia. It is also a high wind speed area particularly during typhoons and cold air passages. Thus, the accurate wind forecasts are crucially needed to avoid capsizing and casualties. The validation results give the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.92, the root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.75 m s−1, and the absolute deviation (AD) of 1.10 m s−1 for the wind speeds, and R2 of 0.96, the RMSE of 21.87°, and the AD of 1.17° for the wind directions. During cold air passages, the AD of wind speeds decreases to 1.03 m s−1, which is smaller than 1.17 m s−1 during typhoons. Using the CFOSAT wind as historical observation data for refining of forecast work was tested by model output statistics revised method. The test results show that the refined forecast results of wind fields are improved up to 4%–17%. Thus, the validation and test results obtained in this study indicate that updating satellite winds would have great contributions to refined forecasting of local sea surface winds. Plain Language Summary: The China‐France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) is a China‐France joint mission launched in 2018, which aims to update satellite remote sensing technologies of the sea surface winds and waves. This paper reports the validation results of the CFOSAT winds with moored buoy measurements. The test area is chosen as the Taiwan Strait, which is an important navigation channel in the East Asia and a rich fishery ground. Total 467 satellite‐buoy spatiotemporal matching data pairs were collected during 8 typhoons and 8 cold air passage processes over the Taiwan Strait. Statistical calibration analyses give the correlation coefficients as high as 0.92 for the wind speeds and 0.96 for the wind directions, implying that the CFOSAT wind data are of high quality and satisfy the requirements for the operational applications. Furthermore, test results to use the CFOSAT winds for operational ocean forecasts in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent waters show that the accuracies of forecasting work are raised up to 4%–17% during the typhoon and cold air passage processes. Thus, the validation and test results provided by this study indicate that it is expectable that updating satellite winds would have great contributions to refined forecasting of local sea surface winds. Key Points: China‐France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) scatterometer wind data are validated by buoy measurements deployed in the Taiwan StraitCalibration analyses of 467 spatiotemporal matching data pairs give correlation coefficients of 0.92 for wind speed and 0.96 for directionApplications of CFOSAT winds improve refined operational forecasts up to 4%–17% under the extreme weather conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the temperature and size variability of the areas with sea surface temperature (SST) higher than 20°C in the global oceans. The SST and surface heat flux data from 1982 to 2008 are used as a baseline. The SST in the global oceans is binned into 1°C interval. Observations at the warm pools (SST>29°C) show larger area increase rates than that in lower SST areas because the net heat flux accumulates enough energy to support the development of SST in warm pools. Furthermore analyses of upper ocean heat budget between heat advection and heat diffusion suggest that heat diffusion processes may be a mechanism for transporting excessive amount of heat that the warm pool through enhancing the SST gradient around the edge of the warm pool. In the Pacific and the Atlantic, the warm pools have a maximum increase rate of 60% of their original area. The area increase rate between 29°C and 30°C in the global oceans is as high as 51% of area. An ensemble empirical mode decomposition analysis shows that the interannual component has strong influence on the variability of the warm pool in the Pacific, presumably because of the presence of El Nino-Southern Oscillation, while the annual cycle dominates the variability in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we use multi-satellite remote sensing data and Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) to examine the physical and biological responses to Typhoon Nakri during a period from 1 to 8 June 2008 in the western North Pacific. From satellite observations, we find remarkable surface cooling (∼5°C) and distinct phytoplankton enhancement after Nakri passage. It is interesting to note that in contrast to the well-documented rightward bias of the surface cooling response, the maximum biological response to Nakri occurred on the left of the Nakri’s track rather than the right side, where the most distinct cooling response occurred. To reveal the dynamic mechanism for this unusual phenomenon, we have done numerical experiments with and without the influence of preexisting cyclonic circulation and previous typhoon. The results from simulations show that both the physical and biological responses to Nakri are greatly affected by the preexisting cyclonic circulations. The discrepancy between the locations of maximum physical and biological responses mainly results from the advanced uplift and current advection of nutrient fields by previous typhoon Rammasun, which passed through the area about two weeks before Nakri. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Studies show that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has the capability of providing high-resolution (sub-kilometer) sea surface wind fields. This is very useful for applications where knowledge of the sea surface wind at fine scales is crucial. This paper aims to review the latest work on sea surface wind field retrieval using SAR images. As shown, many different approaches have been developed for retrieving wind speed and wind direction. However, much more work will be required to fully exploit the SAR data for improving the retrieval accuracy of high-resolution winds and for producing wind products in an operational sense. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a method for estimating parameters of a two-layer stratified ocean using satellite SAR images. According to weak nonlinearity shallow water theory, internal solitary waves (ISWs) in stratified oceans may be either depression or elevation waves, depending on the sign of the quadratic nonlinearity coefficient in the KdV equation. It has been confirmed that ISWs can convert their polarity when passing through a turning point, where the quadratic nonlinearity coefficient changes sign. For a two-layer stratified ocean, the turning point is located where the upper and lower layer depths are equal. The authors suggest that depression, elevation and broadening ISWs can be discerned according to their different signatures in SAR images. It is also found that a SAR image can record a continuous evolution process from depression to elevation ISWs in its spatial domain, under conditions of a spatially inhomogeneous ocean environment. Therefore, the upper and lower layer depths can be calculated by determining the polarity conversion of ISWs observed in satellite SAR images. Furthermore, the density difference between the upper and lower layers can also be estimated, when the wave speed is known. We extract ocean stratification parameters, including upper layer depth and density difference, from polarity conversion of ISWs observed in a RADARSAT-1 SAR image taken over the northeastern South China Sea. Comparing the estimated results with field measurements, we find that this method can estimate the upper layer depth with considerable success. In estimating the density difference between the upper and lower layers, it also gives a quite reasonable result. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Satellite scatterometer winds over the northwestern Pacific were analyzed with the vector empirical orthogonal function (VEOF) method. The Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT), a newly developed non-linear and non-stationary time series data processing method, was also employed in the analysis. A combination of European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS) −1/2 scatterometer, NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) and NASA''s Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) winds covering the period from January 1992 to April 2000 and the area of 0–50°N, 100–148°E constitutes the baseline for this study. The results indicate that annual cycles dominate the two leading VEOF modes. The first VEOF shows the East Asian monsoon features and the second represents a spring–autumn oscillation. We removed the annual signal from the data set and calculated the interannual VEOFs. The first interannual VEOF represents the interannual variability existing in the spring–autumn oscillation. The temporal mode is correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), but has a half-year lag with respect to the SOI. The spatial mode of the first interannual VEOF reflects the response of the tropical and extratropical winds to ENSO events. The second interannual VEOF is another ENSO related mode, and the temporal VEOF mode is correlated with the SOI with a correlation coefficient of 0.78, revealing the wind variability over mid-latitudes, which is associated with ENSO events. Further analysis indicated that the wind variability over the coast of East Asia represents anomalies of a Hadley cell. The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) was found in the temporal mode, indicating and verifying that the QBO in the wind fields is related to ENSO events. The third VEOF shows the interannaul variability in the winter–summer mode and displays the interannual variability of the East Asian monsoon. The three leading interannual VEOFs are statistically meaningful as confirmed by a significance test. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sea surface currents observed by high-frequency (HF) radars have been widely used in ocean circulation research. In this study, hourly sea surface currents observed by the Taiwan Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR) system from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed by the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to reveal the characteristics of the sea surface currents around Taiwan Island. The study area is divided into two regions, the Kuroshio region east of Taiwan Island and the Taiwan Strait west of Taiwan Island. In the Kuroshio region, the first EOF mode shows that the Kuroshio is characterized by higher current speeds with greater variability in summer. The second and third EOF modes present a dipole eddy pair and single eddy impingement on the Kuroshio during different periods. The seasonal variation of the dipole eddy pair indicates that the cyclonic/anticyclonic eddy on the north/south side appears more frequently in summer. Single eddy impingement occurs at multiple periods, including daily, intraseasonal, interseasonal, and annual periods. For the Taiwan Strait, the first EOF mode displays the tide signals. The tides enter the Taiwan Strait from the north and south, forming strong sea surface currents around the northern tip of Taiwan Island and the Penghu Archipelago. The second EOF mode exhibits the seasonal changes of the sea surface currents driven by the monsoon winds. The sea surface currents in the northern Taiwan Strait are relatively strong, possibly due to the narrow and shallow terrain there. The high spatiotemporal resolution of sea surface currents derived from CODAR observations provide more detailed characteristics of sea surface circulation around Taiwan Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mooring-observed horizontal velocities and temperature from July 28 to August 2, 2005, this study analyzes the temporal-vertical variation of the diagnostic vertical velocity and mass transport during passage of tropical storm Washi (2005) over the northwestern continental shelf of the South China Sea (SCS). The results show that the total vertical velocity is of the order of O (1 × 10−4) m s−1 in the mixed layer above 25 m, and of O (1 × 10−5) m s−1 in the lower layer. Dynamically, the geostrophic advection and unsteady behavior of density induced by near-inertial oscillation are dominant factors in the upper and lower layers, respectively. As tropical storm Washi (2005) passed by from July 29 to 31, 2005, the upward vertical velocity was dominant and significantly enhanced to the order of O (1 × 10−3) m s−1. The diagnosed vertical velocity in the upper layer is one order greater than the averaged Ekman pumping velocity, which occurred one day earlier. The vertical advection transport calculated from the diagnosed vertical velocity reaches O (1 × 10−5) kg s−1m−3, one order greater than that induced by turbulent mixing. Time-averaged transports by vertical advection and mixing are both upward in the layer above the thermocline during the storm passage. • Storm-induced vertical velocity and transport are diagnosed from mooring observations. • Geostrophic and unsteady components dominate variation of the vertical velocity. • Upward velocity was enhanced to O (1 × 10−3) m s−1 as storm Washi (2005) passed. • Diagnosed vertical velocity is one order larger and one day later than Ekman pumping. • Vertical advection transport of O (1 × 10−5) kg s−1 m−3 is greater than mixing diffusion flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typhoon Fungwong, a category-2 but deadly typhoon in the 2008 Pacific typhoon season, made landfall first on Taiwan and then on Southeast China. During its approach toward Taiwan, it triggered an extreme sea surface temperature (SST) drop of 12.5 °C, which was the strongest SST drop recorded by Longdong buoy northeast of Taiwan coast from 1998 to 2017. In this study, including moored buoy temperature measurements, Argo float temperature profiles, satellite-observed SSTs, and a suite of numerical experiments performed using the Regional Ocean Modeling System were used to unveil the detailed processes of how Fungwong triggered such an extreme cooling. Subsequently, the source of the cold waters feeding the extreme cooling, possible mechanisms triggering the cooling, and consequential effects of cooling on the ambient ocean environment were systematically investigated. Results show that the extreme cooling was triggered mainly by a process of uplift of subsurface cold water tied to shore-ward Kuroshio intrusion driven by easterly/northeasterly winds and consequential entrainment mixing, while coastal upwelling driven by persistent longshore (southerly) winds plays a minor role. Nevertheless, the southerly winds still help the enhancement of entrainment mixing and thus the sea surface cooling. Finally, modeled float trajectories with temperature tracers identified where the cold water goes and indicate that the temperature drop might extend all the way toward the south end of Japan (Kyushu) along the flowing path of Kuroshio. • Typhoon Fungwong (2008) triggers an extreme sea surface cooling of 12.5 °C. • It is one of the strongest cooling responses ever recorded by in-situ instruments. • How Fungwong triggers such an extreme cooling was systematically resolved. • Combined effect of Kuroshio intrusion and enhanced entrainment triggers it. • Newly formed cold water impacts oceanic environment along Kuroshio downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow and Bohai Seas (YBS) are shallow marginal seas located at the temperate latitudes of the western North Pacific. The seasonal bottom water temperature variation in the YBS can be greater than 20 °C and therefore generates significant seafloor heat flux, which significantly changes both the sediment temperature profile and heat content of the overlying water column. In this study, we investigated the seafloor heat flux driven by bottom water temperature variation in the YBS using a high-resolution numerical ocean model and a one-dimensional sediment temperature model. The results showed that seafloor heat flux in the area shallower than 50 m was on the order of 10 W/m2. The seafloor heat flux was larger than the lateral heat flux driven by circulation and ranked second only to surface net heat flux accounting for the most important forcing mechanism of ocean heat content variation in the coastal YBS. The accumulated seafloor heat flux during the sediment cooling/warming season could warm/cool the overlying water column by about 1 °C in the coastal YBS where the depth is shallower than 30 m. The depth of sediment affected by seafloor heat flux (seasonal sediment temperature variation >0.1 °C) could be as deep as 10 m. The complex spatial–temporal distribution of seafloor heat flux generated a complex distribution of sediment temperature and sound speed, which may have an important effect on acoustic wave propagation in the YBS. • Bottom water temperature variation generates significant seafloor heat flux. • Seafloor heat flux is on the order of 10 W/m2 in the coastal Yellow and Bohai Seas. • Seafloor heat flux affects ocean heat content significantly. • Seafloor heat flux generates complex sediment sound speed distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is modulated by many factors; most previous studies have emphasized the roles of wind stress and heat flux in the tropical Pacific. Freshwater flux (FWF) is another environmental forcing to the ocean; its effect and the related ocean salinity variability in the ENSO region have been of increased interest recently. Currently, accurate quantifications of the FWF roles in the climate remain challenging; the related observations and coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling involve large elements of uncertainty. In this study, we utilized satellite-based data to represent FWF-induced feedback in the tropical Pacific climate system; we then incorporated these data into a hybrid coupled ocean-atmosphere model (HCM) to quantify its effects on ENSO. A new mechanism was revealed by which interannual FWF forcing modulates ENSO in a significant way. As a direct forcing, FWF exerts a significant influence on the ocean through sea surface salinity (SSS) and buoyancy flux ( Q) in the western-central tropical Pacific. The SSS perturbations directly induced by ENSO-related interannual FWF variability affect the stability and mixing in the upper ocean. At the same time, the ENSO-induced FWF has a compensating effect on heat flux, acting to reduce interannual Q variability during ENSO cycles. These FWF-induced processes in the ocean tend to modulate the vertical mixing and entrainment in the upper ocean, enhancing cooling during La Niña and enhancing warming during El Niño, respectively. The interannual FWF forcing-induced positive feedback acts to enhance ENSO amplitude and lengthen its time scales in the tropical Pacific coupled climate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study utilized the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) red-channel reflectance with a spatial resolution of 250 m to estimate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Mobile Bay estuary, Alabama. Based on monthly in situ sampling, a new algorithm was developed using an exponential regression model. The concentration of inorganic suspended sediments (ISS) in Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound was concerned and mapped by applying the new algorithm. The ISS maps during a cold front passage have revealed how the resuspension and transport of sediments respond to the variable wind forcing in this micro-tidal system. Particle tracking based on a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was utilized to explain what was observed from the satellite imagery. It has been found that the rapid disappearance of the surface ISS after a cold front passage was mainly caused by settling of sediments rather than flushing out of the estuary. The study demonstrates that a combination of ISS mapped from the MODIS band-1 reflectance and three-dimensional numerical modelling is an effective tool to analyse sediment dynamics in the Mobile Bay estuary and other similar estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical model based on radar backscatter theory was utilized to retrieve sea surface wind speeds from C-band satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data at either vertical (VV) or horizontal (HH) polarization in transmission and reception. The wind speeds were estimated from several ENVISAT Advanced SAR (ASAR) images in Hong Kong coastal waters and from Radarsat-1 SAR images along the west coast of North America. To evaluate the accuracy of the analytical model, the estimated wind speeds were compared to coincident buoy measurements, as well as winds retrieved by C-band empirical algorithms (CMOD4, CMOD_IRF2 and CMOD5). The comparison shows that the accuracy of the analytical model is comparable to that of the C-band empirical algorithms. The results indicate the capability of the analytical model for sea surface wind speed retrieval from SAR images at both VV and HH polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been difficult to estimate the sensible heat flux at the air–sea interface using satellite data because of the difficulty in remotely observing the sea level air temperature. In this study, a new method is developed for estimating the sensible heat flux using satellite observations under unstable conditions. The basic idea of the method is that the air–sea temperature difference is related to the atmospheric convergence. Employed data include the wind convergence, sea level humidity, and sea surface temperature. These parameters can be derived from the satellite wind vectors, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) precipitable water, and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) observations, respectively. The authors selected a region east of Japan as the test area where the atmospheric convergence appears all year. Comparison between the heat fluxes derived from the satellite data and from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) data suggests that the rms difference between the two kinds of sensible heat fluxes has low values in the sea area east of Japan with a minimum of 10.0 W m-2. The time series of the two kinds of sensible heat fluxes at 10 locations in the area are in agreement, with rms difference ranging between 10.0 and 14.1 W m-2 and correlation coefficient being higher than 0.7. In addition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Satellite- Based Surface Turbulent Flux (GSSTF) was used for a further comparison. The low-rms region with high correlation coefficient (>0.7) was also found in the region east of Japan with a minimum of 12.2 W m-2. Considering the nonlinearity in calculation of the sensible monthly means, the authors believe that the comparison with GSSTF is consistent with that with NCEP data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong typhoon winds enhance turbulent mixing, which induces sediment to resuspend and to promote chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) blooms in the continental shelf areas. In this study, we find limited Chl-a responses to three late autumn typhoons (typhoon Nesat, Mujigae and Khanun) in the northwestern South China Sea (NWSCS) using satellite observations. In climatology, the Chl-a and total suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations are high all year round with higher value in autumn in the offshore area of the NWSCS. After the typhoon passage, the Chl-a concentration increases slightly (23%), while even TSS enhances by 280% on the wide continental shelf of the NWSCS. However, in the southern area, located approximately 100 km from the typhoon tracks, both TSS and Chl-a concentrations increase 160% and 150% after typhoon passage, respectively. In the deeper area, the increased TSS concentration is responsible for the considerable increase of the Chl-a. An empirical analysis is applied to the data, which reveals the TSS and Chl-a processes during typhoon events. The results of this study suggest a different mechanism for Chl-a concentration increase and thus contribute toward further evaluation of typhoon-induced biological responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kuroshio Current has its origin in the northwestern Pacific, flowing northward to the east of Taiwan and the northern part of Luzon Island. As the Kuroshio Current flows northward, it quasi-periodically intrudes (hereafter referred to as Kuroshio intrusion (KI)) into the northern South China Sea (SCS) basin through the Luzon Strait. Despite the complex generation mechanisms of KI, the purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of the effects of KI through the Luzon Strait on the regional atmospheric and weather variations. Long-term multiple satellite observations, including absolute dynamic topography, absolute geostrophic currents, sea surface winds by ASCAT, multi-scale ultra-high resolution sea surface temperature (MURSST) level-four analysis, and research-quality three-hourly TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA), was used to systematically examine the aforementioned scientific problem. Analysis indicates that the KI is interlinked with the consequential anomalous precipitation off southwestern Taiwan. This anomalous precipitation would lead to ~560 million tons of freshwater influx during each KI event. Subsequently, independent moisture budget analysis suggests that moisture, mainly from vertical advection, is the possible source of the precipitation anomaly. Additionally, a bulk formula analysis was applied to understand how KI can trigger the precipitation anomaly through vertical advection of moisture without causing an evident change in the low-level flows. These new research findings might reconcile the divisiveness on why winds are not showing a synchronous response during the KI and consequential anomalous precipitation events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the monthly variability of thermocline in the South China Sea (SCS) and the response of thermocline depth (TD) to ENSO events. The study is based on 51-year (1960-2010) monthly seawater temperature and surface wind stress data from Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA), together with heat flux, precipitation and evaporation data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, respectively. The results reveal that the upper boundary depth, lower boundary depth, thickness and intensity of thermocline in the SCS show remarkable monthly variability. Being averaged for the deep basin of SCS (deeper than 200 m), the upper boundary depth deepens gradually from May to the following January and then shoals from February to May, while the lower boundary depth varies little throughout the whole year. Further diagnostics indicates that the monthly variability of the upper boundary depth is mainly caused by the buoyancy flux and wind stress curl. It is also indicated that the response of the SCS TD to the El Niño or La Niña events is in opposite phase. On one hand, the spatial-averaged TDs in the SCS appear as negative and positive anomalies during the mature phase of the El Niño and La Niña events, respectively. On the other hand, from June of the El Niño year to the subsequent April, the spatial patterns of TD in the north and south of 12°N appear as negative and positive anomalies, respectively, but present positive and negative anomalies for the La Niña case. However, positive and negative TD anomalies occur almost in the entire SCS in May of the subsequent year of the El Niño and La Niña events, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]