An analysis of tropical storms impact on islands and reefs in the South China Sea in the past 35 years

Abstract

The South China Sea has crucial geographical value as well as rich natural resources. We should strengthen the management of islands and reefs in this region in order to maintain China's ocean sovereignty and national interests. However,the South China Sea is an area where tropical storms take place frequently and the disasters resulting from these tropical storms seriously endanger people 's lives and islands management. The research was based on tropical storm data from 1977 to 2012. The authors analyzed conditions and regularity of tropical storms which affected the South China Sea,including its islands and reefs,in the past 35 years through the methods of buffer analysis and statistics of spatially topological relations,with the purpose of providing some foundations of avoiding disasters resulting from tropical storms during the implementation of the management of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Some conclusions have been reached: 1 The region which is most frequently affected by tropical storms in the South China Sea is the ocean area( 18°N ~ 21°N,116°E ~ 122°E)located from the Dongsha Islands to the Zhongsha Islands; 2 Tropical storms which impact islands and reefs in the South China Sea mainly take place in summer and autumn( June to November); 3 Among islands and reefs in the South China Sea,the Dongsha Islands seem to be an area most severely affected by tropical storms,followed by the Zhongsha Islands and the Xisha Islands,with the Spratlys being less affected by tropical storms.