Evidence of double diffusion in the East China Sea

Abstract

Double diffusion is an important phenomenon induced by the difference between the thermal conducting coefficient of the molecule and haline diffusive coefficient. Warm, salty water overlying cold, fresh water induces salt finger. On the contrary, when cold, fresh water overlies warm, salty water, diffusive convection occurs. In the East China Sea, double diffusion was observed during a cruise in September 2003. In order to describe the phenomenon precisely, Turner (TU) angle values are calculated station by station at Section YT. TU angle is a practical tool to indicate the water states. Different TU angle values represent salt finger, diffusive convection and stable stratification respectively. We map the distributions of the two forms of double diffusion at Section YT, and determine that the physical mechanism of the phenomenon is the mixing of water masses. The Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) has great effect on the mixing of water masses, and the Kuroshio Water System dominates on the continental slope. Temperature and salinity varied in a manner consistent with double diffusion.