Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (1): 29-34.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2011.01.029cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2011.01.029

• Marine hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preliminary study on the salinity characteristics of South China Sea and its response to the summer monsoon

LI Xiu-zhen1, LIANG Wei1, WEN Zhi-ping1, CAI Rong-shuo2   

  1. 1. Center for Monsoon and Environment Research/Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; 2. Third Institute of Oceanography State Oceanic Administration/Key Laboratory of Global Change and Marine-Atmospheric Chemistry, SOA, Xiamen 361005, China
  • Received:2009-08-06 Revised:2009-11-22 Online:2011-03-17 Published:2011-03-16
  • Contact: 温之平, 男, 教授, 博士, 主要从事季风与海气相互作用研究。E-mail.: eeswzp@mail.sysu.edu.cn
  • About author:李秀珍(1986—), 女,广东省江门市人,在读研究生,从事水汽输送与季风降水研究。E-mail: xiuzhenli2@student.cityu.edu.hk
  • Supported by:

    国家海洋局科研项目(国海科字[2008]307); 国家“908”专项资助项目(908-02-01-02)

Abstract:

Using the simple ocean data assimilation (SODA) data from 1967 to 2001, this study revealed the upper level salin-ity distribution in the South China Sea (SCS) and its response to the activity and intensity of the SCS monsoon. The results indicate that with the onset of the SCS monsoon, the high-salinity tongue in the northern and southern SCS weaken and retreat eastward, the salinity decreases in the northern and eastern SCS but increases in the southern SCS. In the strong monsoon years, the anomalous salinity is negative in the coastal sea area and the eastern SCS, but negative in the southern SCS. In the weak monsoon years, the anomalous pattern of salinity is the opposite. The upper level salinity’s response to the activity and intensity of the SCS monsoon in the SCS is closely related to the net freshwater flux, wind stress, and Ekman pumping.

Key words: South China Sea, salinity, summer monsoon, response