Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (4): 14-19.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.014cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.014

• Marine hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial and temporal variations of high sea-surface temperature events during 1960−2009 in the coastal waters off South China

ZHENG Zhao-yong1, 2, ZHOU Xiong2, JIANG Si-yi2, LIN Ming-xia2, YOU Da-wei2, LÜ Bo-ming2   

  1. 1. College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; 2. South China Sea Branch, SOA, Guangzhou 510300, China
  • Received:2008-09-08 Revised:2010-02-22 Online:2010-07-31 Published:2010-07-29
  • About author:郑兆勇(1979—), 男, 山东省泰安市人, 在读博士研究生, 工程师, 主要从事海洋环境相关方面工作。
  • Supported by:

    国家海洋局青年海洋科学基金(2010208); 国家海洋局“908”专项(908-ZC-Ⅱ-01)

Abstract:

Based on the observed sea-surface temperature (SST) data from 10 ocean observation stations in the coastal region off South China (CRSC) from 1960 to 2009, the authors analyzed the variation characteristics of the high-SST events over the 50 year record. The results show that the high-SST events mostly happened during June to August, and most often in the northeast of the Beibu Gulf and least in the coastal waters off eastern Guangdong Province; the regional difference of high-SST events was caused by regional differences of upwelling and tropic cyclone, with yearly-averaged SST showing a rising trend under global warming. The past 50 years can be divided into two periods of relatively warm and cold. The yearly frequency and the number of days in all of the high-SST events in the relatively warm period and the lasting time of every high-SST event both showed rising trends compared with the relatively cold period.

Key words: coastal waters off South China, sea-surface temperature (SST), high-SST event, variation characteristics