Evidences of Intermittent Wind-Induced Flow in the Yellow Sea obtained from AVHRR SST Data

Abstract

Ten-year AVHRR sea surface temperature data obtained in the Yellow Sea are put into EOF analyses. Temperature variation is predominated by the first mode which is associated with the seasonal fluctuation of temperature with annual range decreasing with the bottom depth. Since such a strong annual signal may mask the upwind or downwind flows occurring intermittently during the winter, only the data obtained during this season are put into EOF analyses. Every winter shows similar results. The first mode, explaining more than 90% of total variance, appears to be a part of the seasonal variation of temperature mentioned above. In the second mode, the time coefficient is well correlated with northerly winds to which the responses of the trough and shallow coastal areas are opposite to each other. A simple theoretical consideration suggests the following physical explanation: The northerly wind stress anomaly creates an upwind (downwind) flow over the trough (coastal) areas, which then induces a temperature increase (decrease) by advection of heat, and vice versa for the southerly wind stress anomaly. Hence, this paper provides further evidence of the intermittent upwind or downwind flows occurring in the Yellow Sea every winter.