Interannual changes of the summer circulation and hydrology in the East China Sea: A modeling study from 1981 to 2015

Abstract

This study investigated long-term interannual changes in summer circulation and hydrology in the East China Sea (ECS) by performing 35-year high-resolution ocean model simulation from 1981 to 2015. The sea surface temperature (SST) warming trend was considerably weaker in summer than in winter. To the east of the Yangtze Estuary, the interannual variation of SST in summer was mainly dominated by horizontal advection associated with variations in the Taiwan warm current and heat flux in the offshore region north of the Yangtze Estuary. Baroclinic circulation during summer played a crucial role in subsurface mixing. Near the surface, the significant atmospheric wind mode (EOF1) and Kuroshio mode (EOF2) dominate interannual variations in ocean circulation. In the subsurface, local wind around the Tsushima Strait dominated the interannual ocean variation. Anomalous northeasterly winds induced a southwestward pressure gradient due to topographical confinement. These anomalies propagated to the south along the continental shelf through topographic Rossby waves. This study identified two types of anomalous features based on combinations of surface and subsurface EOFs. The combination represents an in-phase contribution between wind and Kuroshio forcings and between the surface and subsurface circulation that enhances the hydrological variability in the ECS. The implication on the relevant biogeochemical and ecological studies in the East China Sea is also very crucial at the interannual time scale.