A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea
Ocean circulation is crucial in redistributing mass and energy on Earth. However, it varies significantly on a seasonal time scale due to external forcing. To quantify the seasonality of ocean circulation, we propose a seasonal circulation index (SCI). This index is defined as the normalized maximum...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1203486/full |
| _version_ | 1827935532256067584 |
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| author | Qiang Li Qiang Li Qiang Li Run Xin Huang Lingling Xie Lingling Xie Lingling Xie |
| author_facet | Qiang Li Qiang Li Qiang Li Run Xin Huang Lingling Xie Lingling Xie Lingling Xie |
| author_sort | Qiang Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ocean circulation is crucial in redistributing mass and energy on Earth. However, it varies significantly on a seasonal time scale due to external forcing. To quantify the seasonality of ocean circulation, we propose a seasonal circulation index (SCI). This index is defined as the normalized maximum deviation from the velocity vector, whose magnitude is the largest in one period. We have substantiated the efficiency of this index using the monsoon wind in the South China Sea (SCS). By utilizing this index, we have obtained the 3D structure of the seasonality of ocean circulation in the SCS. The SCI and the seasonal circulation amplitude (SCA) exhibit large values over 0.9 and 0.8 m s-1 in the western boundary current. Alternating southwest-northeastward bands of SCI with high and low values are distributed from the north shelf to the south, especially in the eastern basin. Although SCA decreases significantly with depth, SCI exhibits values higher than 0.7 in both the middle and deep layers, indicating a noteworthy seasonality and middle-layer enhancement in the abyssal basin of the SCS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:56:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-76bb7b149a214d7fb7a0ae39a48e076a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:56:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-76bb7b149a214d7fb7a0ae39a48e076a2023-06-02T05:18:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-06-011010.3389/fmars.2023.12034861203486A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China SeaQiang Li0Qiang Li1Qiang Li2Run Xin Huang3Lingling Xie4Lingling Xie5Lingling Xie6Department of Marine Science, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environments in Continent Shelf Sea and Deep Ocean (LCRE), Zhanjiang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Applications (LORA), Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Physical Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United StatesDepartment of Marine Science, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environments in Continent Shelf Sea and Deep Ocean (LCRE), Zhanjiang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Space Ocean Remote Sensing and Applications (LORA), Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, ChinaOcean circulation is crucial in redistributing mass and energy on Earth. However, it varies significantly on a seasonal time scale due to external forcing. To quantify the seasonality of ocean circulation, we propose a seasonal circulation index (SCI). This index is defined as the normalized maximum deviation from the velocity vector, whose magnitude is the largest in one period. We have substantiated the efficiency of this index using the monsoon wind in the South China Sea (SCS). By utilizing this index, we have obtained the 3D structure of the seasonality of ocean circulation in the SCS. The SCI and the seasonal circulation amplitude (SCA) exhibit large values over 0.9 and 0.8 m s-1 in the western boundary current. Alternating southwest-northeastward bands of SCI with high and low values are distributed from the north shelf to the south, especially in the eastern basin. Although SCA decreases significantly with depth, SCI exhibits values higher than 0.7 in both the middle and deep layers, indicating a noteworthy seasonality and middle-layer enhancement in the abyssal basin of the SCS.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1203486/fullseasonal circulation indexdeep circulationSouth China Seamonsoonbelt-like strucuture |
| spellingShingle | Qiang Li Qiang Li Qiang Li Run Xin Huang Lingling Xie Lingling Xie Lingling Xie A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea Frontiers in Marine Science seasonal circulation index deep circulation South China Sea monsoon belt-like strucuture |
| title | A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea |
| title_full | A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea |
| title_fullStr | A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea |
| title_short | A seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the South China Sea |
| title_sort | seasonal circulation index for the ocean and its application to the south china sea |
| topic | seasonal circulation index deep circulation South China Sea monsoon belt-like strucuture |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1203486/full |
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