Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (4): 8-13.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.008cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2010.04.008

• Marine hydrology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of interannual variability of sea-surface height in the South China Sea

QIU Fu-wen1,2, FANG Wen-dong1   

  1. 1.South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS, Guangzhou 510301, China; 2. Graduate University of CAS, Beijing 100039, China
  • Received:2008-12-02 Revised:2009-03-30 Online:2010-07-31 Published:2010-07-29
  • About author:丘福文(1985—), 男, 福建省上杭县人, 硕士, 主要从事物理海洋学研究。
  • Supported by:

    国家“973”计划项目(2006CB403603); 国家自然科学基金项目(40876008); 中国科学院知识创新工程项目(KZCX2-YW-214)

Abstract:

Fifteen years of interannual variability of the sea-surface height in the South China Sea (SCS) was discussed through the Seasonal-reliant Empirical Orthogonal Function (S-EOF) analysis. The S-EOF analysis illustrates spatial patterns of different seasons and the same temporal variations of the surface circulation in the SCS, not only confirming the winter and summer patterns during monsoons but also presenting new patterns in spring and fall. The result shows that the interannual variability of the sea-surface height in the SCS was closely related to the El Niño and La Niña events. The S-EOF1 shows that the variability of the sea-surface height in the SCS had obvious seasonal oscillation, and this seasonal oscillation was almost steady and relatively weaker during ENSO years. The S-EOF2 shows that there existed a comparatively strong positive anomaly west of the Luzon in the winters of 1998−2001, and it lasted until the spring. The S-EOF3 is mainly characterized by the interannual variability of a series of meso-scale eddies in the western SCS and the strong impact of 1997/1998 El Niño on the circulation in the SCS.

Key words: circulation in the South China Sea, sea surface height anomaly, seasonal-reliant EOF analysis