Potential Influence of Offshore Wind Farms on the Marine Stratification in the Waters Adjacent to China

Abstract

Offshore wind farms (OWFs) can influence marine stratifications, leading to fuel nutrition in the upper ocean and regulating ocean carbon fluxes. Evaluating this dynamic effect facilitates the planning of OWFs deployment for enlarging marine carbon sequestration, which is urgent in the pursuit of China’s carbon neutrality targets. However, it is impossible to observe the target influence in the planning stage of deployments, and it is impractical to build a high-resolution (100~101 m) model to cover the entire waters adjacent to China. The theoretical calculations, therefore, are the first step and top priority. The simplified theory presents two suggestions in the design of future OWF deployments in the study area. The first suggestion is made from the perspective of OWF positioning. To the east of the cities of Zhoushan, Putian, and Shantou, the oceans are dynamically sensitive to OWF deployments. The second suggestion is made from the perspective of the length scale of OWFs. A broader OWF results in a smaller vertical disturbance in the coastal waters, but the situation is opposite in the open seas. The OWF deployment strategy, proposed in the aim of ensuring idealized marine stratification responses, thus varies geographically. This study provides a panoramic view of the sensitivity of marine stratification to OWFs in the study regions. It can be seen as a steppingstone in detailed research of the target phenomenon.