Potential Associations between Low-Level Jets and Intraseasonal and Semi-Diurnal Variations in Coastal Chlorophyll—A over the Beibuwan Gulf, South China Sea

Abstract

Low-level jet (LLJ) significantly affects the synoptic-scale hydrometeorological conditions in the South China Sea, although the impact of LLJs on the marine ecological environment is still unclear. We used multi-satellite observation data and meteorological reanalysis datasets to study the potential impact of LLJs on the marine biophysical environment over the Beibuwan Gulf (BBG) in summer during 2015–2019. In terms of the summer average, the sea surface wind vectors on LLJ days became stronger in the southwesterly direction relative to those on non-LLJ days, resulting in enhanced Ekman pumping (the maximum upwelling exceeds 10 × 10−6 m s−1) in most areas of the BBG, accompanied by stronger photosynthetically active radiation (increased by about 20 μmol m−2 s−1) and less precipitation (decreased by about 3 mm day−1). These LLJ-induced hydrometeorological changes led to an increase of about 0.3 °C in the nearshore sea surface temperature and an increase of 0.1–0.5 mg m−3 (decrease of 0.1–0.3 mg m−3) in the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations in nearshore (offshore) regions. Intraseasonal and diurnal changes in the incidence and intensity of LLJs potentially resulted in changes in the biophysical ocean environment in nearshore regions on intraseasonal and semi-diurnal timescales. The semi-diurnal peak and amplitude of chl-a concentrations on LLJ days increased with respect to those on non-LLJ days. Relative to the southern BBG, LLJ events exhibit greater impacts on the northern BBG, causing increases of the semi-diurnal peak and amplitude with 1.5 mg m−3 and 0.7 mg m−3, respectively. This work provides scientific evidence for understanding the potential mechanism of synoptic-scale changes in the marine ecological environment in marginal seas with frequent LLJ days.