Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical simulation of the dual-core structure of the Bohai Sea cold bottom water in summer

  • Articles/Oceanology
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Regional Ocean Modeling Systems (ROMS 3.0) and the κ-ɛ turbulence closure scheme has been applied to investigating the seasonal evolution of the thermsocline in the Bohai Sea. The simulation reproduces the stratifications lasting from early April to early September and reveals the existence of marked Asymmetric Dual-Core Cold Bottom Water (ADCCBW) in the south and north depression basin respectively under the thermocline. The bottom temperature in the north depression is about 1–4°C lower than that in the south depression basin which is in good agreement with observations. Model results suggest that the local bathymetry characteristics and inhomogeneous net heat flux due to the latitude difference are the major cause for the early formation of the ADCCBW. Numerical Lagrangian drifter experiments support the finding that the ADCCBW is maintained throughout the stratification periods by the inflow of cold bottom water from the northern Yellow Sea and deep channel in the western side of Liaodong Peninsula. The inflow cold water contributes to the north depression basin distinctively larger than to the south one. Tidal mixing enhances the bottom temperature asymmetry between the two basins.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen D X. Marine Atlas of Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea—hydrology (in Chinese). Beijing: China Ocean Press, 1992. 13–96, 241–257

    Google Scholar 

  2. Zhao B R, Cao D M, Li W F, et al. Tidal mixing characters and tidal fronts phenomenon in the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). Acta Oceanol Sin, 2001, 23(4): 113–118

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bao X W, Wang X Q, Wu D X, et al. Hydrologic characteristics of the end summertime in 2000 and early wintertime in 2001 in the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). Acta Oceanol Sin, 2004, 26(1): 14–24

    Google Scholar 

  4. Huang D J, Su J L, Chen Z Y. A 3D continental shelf model applying in the Bohai Sea, II. seasonal changes of the temperature (in Chinese). Acta Oceanol Sin, 1996, 18(6): 8–17

    Google Scholar 

  5. Huang D J, Su J L, Backhaus J O. Modelling the seasonal thermal stratification and baroclinic circulation in the Bohai Sea. Cont Shelf Res, 1999, 19: 1485–1505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu G M, Wang H, Sun S, et al. Numerical study on density residual currents of the Bohai Sea in summer. Chin J Limnol Oceanogr, 2003, 21(2): 106–113

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lin X P, Xie S P, Chen X P, et al. A well-mixed warm water column in the central Bohai Sea in summer: effects of tidal and surface wave mixing. J Geophys Res, 2006, 111: C11017

  8. Wu D X, Lin X P, Bao X W. New issues in the dynamic and environmental studies of the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). J Ocean Univ Qingdao, 2004, 34(5): 685–688

    Google Scholar 

  9. Haidvogel D B, Arango H G, Hedstrom K S, et al. Model evaluation experiments in the North Atlantic Basin: simulations in nonlinear terrain-following coordinates. Dynam Atmos Oceans, 2000, 32: 239–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ezer T, Arango H G, Shchepetkin A F. Developments in terrain-following ocean models: intercomparisons of numerical aspects. Ocean Model, 2002, 4: 249–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Shchepetkin A F, Mcwilliams J C. A method for computing horizontal pressure-gradient force in an oceanic model with a non-aligned vertical coordinate. J Geophys Res, 2003, 108(C3): 3090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Shchepetkin A F, Mcwilliams J C. The regional oceanic modeling system (ROMS): a split-explicit, free-surface, topography-following-coordinate oceanic model. Ocean Model, 2005, 9(4): 347–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Warner J C, Sherwood C R, Arango H G, et al. Performance of four turbulence closure models implemented using a generic length scale method. Ocean Model, 2005, 8(1–2): 81–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Song Y, Haidvogel D. A semi-implicit ocean circulation model using a generalized topography-following coordinate system. J Comput Phys, 1994, 115(1): 228–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Umlauf L, Burchard H. A generic length-scale equation for geophysical turbulence models. J Mar Res, 2003, 61(2): 235–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dasilva A, Young A C, Levitus S. Atlas of Surface Marine Data 1994, Volume 1: Algorithms and Procedures. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  17. Carton J A, Chepurin G, Cao X, et al. A Simple Ocean Data Assimilation analysis of the global upper ocean 1950–1995, part 1: methodology. J Phys Oceanogr, 2000, 30: 294–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Carton J A, Chepurin G, Cao X. A Simple Ocean Data Assimilation analysis of the global upper ocean 1950–1995, part 2: results. J Phys Oceanogr, 2000, 30: 311–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Chen Q. Three-dimensional simulations of tides and tidal currents in the seas adjacent to Zhejiang (in Chinese). Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Hangzhou: Zhejiang University, 2002. 141

    Google Scholar 

  20. Chen Q, Huang D J, Zhang B Z. Numerical simulation of tide and tidal currents in the seas adjacent to Zhejiang (in Chinese). Acta Oceanol Sin, 2003, 25(5): 9–20

    Google Scholar 

  21. Eanes R J. Diurnal and semidiurnal tides from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry. Eos Transactions, AGU, 1994, 75(16): 108

    Google Scholar 

  22. Flather R A, Heaps N S. Tidal computation for the Morecambe Bay. Geophys J Roy Astron Soc, 1975, 42(2): 489–517

    Google Scholar 

  23. Tang Q S, Meng T X. Atlas of the Ecological Environment and Living Resources in the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). Qingdao: Qingdao Press, 1997. 3–126

    Google Scholar 

  24. Huang D J, Su J L, Zhang L R. Numerical study of the winter and summer circulation in the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). Acta Aero Sin, 1998, 16(1): 115–121

    Google Scholar 

  25. Lin X P, Wu D X, Bao X W, et al. Study of seasonal temperature and flux variation of the Bohai Strait (in Chinese). J Ocean Univ Qingdao, 2002, 32(3): 355–360

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wu D X, Wan X Q, Bao X W, et al. Comparison the thermo-haline fields and its circulation between the summer of 1958 and 2000 in the Bohai Sea (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull, 2004, 49(3): 287–292

    Google Scholar 

  27. Lin C L, Su J L, Xu B R, et al. Long-term variations of temperature and salinity of the Bohai Sea and their influence on its ecosystem. Prog Oceanogr, 2001, 49(1–4): 7–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Fang G H, Wang K, Guo F Y, et al. Long-term changes and interrelations of annual variations of the hydrographical and meteorological parameters of the Bohai Sea during recent 30 years (in Chinese). Oceanol Limnol Sin, 2002, 33(5): 515–524

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fluid Mechanics, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Feng Zhou

  2. State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Feng Zhou, DaJi Huang & JiLan Su

Authors
  1. Feng Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. DaJi Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. JiLan Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Feng Zhou.

Additional information

Supported by “973” Project from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2006CB400603), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40706018), National Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. Y507229) and the Youth Marine Science Foundation of State Oceanic Administration (Grant No. 2007204)

About this article

Cite this article

Zhou, F., Huang, D. & Su, J. Numerical simulation of the dual-core structure of the Bohai Sea cold bottom water in summer. Chin. Sci. Bull. 54, 4520–4528 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0019-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0019-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation