New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4

<p>The South China Sea throughflow (SCSTF) connects the South China Sea (SCS) with neighboring seas and oceans, transferring surface water of the global thermohaline circulation between the Pacific and Indian oceans. A configuration of the SYMPHONIE ocean model at high resolution (4 km) and in...

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Main Authors: N. B. Trinh, M. Herrmann, C. Ulses, P. Marsaleix, T. Duhaut, T. To Duy, C. Estournel, R. K. Shearman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2024-02-01
Series:Geoscientific Model Development
Online Access:https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/17/1831/2024/gmd-17-1831-2024.pdf
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author N. B. Trinh
N. B. Trinh
M. Herrmann
M. Herrmann
C. Ulses
C. Ulses
P. Marsaleix
T. Duhaut
T. To Duy
C. Estournel
R. K. Shearman
author_facet N. B. Trinh
N. B. Trinh
M. Herrmann
M. Herrmann
C. Ulses
C. Ulses
P. Marsaleix
T. Duhaut
T. To Duy
C. Estournel
R. K. Shearman
author_sort N. B. Trinh
collection DOAJ
description <p>The South China Sea throughflow (SCSTF) connects the South China Sea (SCS) with neighboring seas and oceans, transferring surface water of the global thermohaline circulation between the Pacific and Indian oceans. A configuration of the SYMPHONIE ocean model at high resolution (4 km) and including an explicit representation of tides is implemented over this region, and a simulation is analyzed over 2010–2018. Comparisons with in situ and satellite data and other available simulations at coarser resolution show the good performance of the model and the relevance of the high resolution for reproducing the spatial and temporal variability of the characteristics of surface dynamics and water masses over the SCS. The added value of an online computation of each term of the water, heat, and salt SCS budgets (surface, lateral oceanic and river fluxes, and internal variations) is also quantitatively demonstrated: important discards are obtained with offline computation, with relative biases of <span class="inline-formula">∼40 <i>%</i></span> for lateral oceanic inflows and outflows.</p> <p>The SCS water volume budget, including the SCSTF, is analyzed at climatological and seasonal scales. The SCS receives on average a 4.5 Sv yearly water volume input, mainly from the Luzon Strait. It laterally releases this water to neighboring seas, mainly to the Sulu Sea through Mindoro Strait (49 %), to the East China Sea via Taiwan Strait (28 %), and to the Java Sea through Karimata Strait (22 %). The seasonal variability of this water volume budget is driven by lateral interocean exchanges. Surface interocean exchanges, especially at Luzon Strait, are all driven by monsoon winds that favor winter southwestward flows and summer northeastward surface flows. Exchanges through Luzon Strait deep layers show a stable sandwiched structure with vertically alternating inflows and outflows. Last, differences in flux estimates induced by the use of a high-resolution model vs. a low-resolution model are quantified.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-61edd714385a490a9dc6e63ce8b89b182024-02-29T07:58:06ZengCopernicus PublicationsGeoscientific Model Development1991-959X1991-96032024-02-01171831186710.5194/gmd-17-1831-2024New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4N. B. Trinh0N. B. Trinh1M. Herrmann2M. Herrmann3C. Ulses4C. Ulses5P. Marsaleix6T. Duhaut7T. To Duy8C. Estournel9R. K. Shearman10Université de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceLOTUS Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi, VietnamUniversité de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceLOTUS Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi, VietnamUniversité de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceLOTUS Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi, VietnamUniversité de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceUniversité de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceInstitute of Oceanography (IO), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Nha Trang, VietnamUniversité de Toulouse, LEGOS (IRD/CNES/CNRS/UT3), 31400 Toulouse, FranceCollege of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA<p>The South China Sea throughflow (SCSTF) connects the South China Sea (SCS) with neighboring seas and oceans, transferring surface water of the global thermohaline circulation between the Pacific and Indian oceans. A configuration of the SYMPHONIE ocean model at high resolution (4 km) and including an explicit representation of tides is implemented over this region, and a simulation is analyzed over 2010–2018. Comparisons with in situ and satellite data and other available simulations at coarser resolution show the good performance of the model and the relevance of the high resolution for reproducing the spatial and temporal variability of the characteristics of surface dynamics and water masses over the SCS. The added value of an online computation of each term of the water, heat, and salt SCS budgets (surface, lateral oceanic and river fluxes, and internal variations) is also quantitatively demonstrated: important discards are obtained with offline computation, with relative biases of <span class="inline-formula">∼40 <i>%</i></span> for lateral oceanic inflows and outflows.</p> <p>The SCS water volume budget, including the SCSTF, is analyzed at climatological and seasonal scales. The SCS receives on average a 4.5 Sv yearly water volume input, mainly from the Luzon Strait. It laterally releases this water to neighboring seas, mainly to the Sulu Sea through Mindoro Strait (49 %), to the East China Sea via Taiwan Strait (28 %), and to the Java Sea through Karimata Strait (22 %). The seasonal variability of this water volume budget is driven by lateral interocean exchanges. Surface interocean exchanges, especially at Luzon Strait, are all driven by monsoon winds that favor winter southwestward flows and summer northeastward surface flows. Exchanges through Luzon Strait deep layers show a stable sandwiched structure with vertically alternating inflows and outflows. Last, differences in flux estimates induced by the use of a high-resolution model vs. a low-resolution model are quantified.</p>https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/17/1831/2024/gmd-17-1831-2024.pdf
spellingShingle N. B. Trinh
N. B. Trinh
M. Herrmann
M. Herrmann
C. Ulses
C. Ulses
P. Marsaleix
T. Duhaut
T. To Duy
C. Estournel
R. K. Shearman
New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
Geoscientific Model Development
title New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
title_full New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
title_fullStr New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
title_full_unstemmed New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
title_short New insights into the South China Sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle: evaluation and analysis of a high-resolution configuration of the ocean model SYMPHONIE version 2.4
title_sort new insights into the south china sea throughflow and water budget seasonal cycle evaluation and analysis of a high resolution configuration of the ocean model symphonie version 2 4
url https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/17/1831/2024/gmd-17-1831-2024.pdf
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