Abstract
Seasonal and interannual variations of surface currents in the southern Taiwan Strait to the west of Taiwan Shoals were investigated by using measurements of high frequency (HF) ground wave radars from January 2006 to April 2009. The results demonstrate that surface currents in the water channel to the west of Taiwan Shoals are composed of a significant, seasonally fluctuating component and a relatively stable northward component. Forced by the East Asia monsoon, the annual variation of the surface longshore current is linearly correlated with the longshore wind. Behind the seasonal signal is a stable northward flow with speeds of O (10 cm/s). The observations also show that surface currents in the area are subject to distinct interannual variation, and the southward surface flow was more profound in winter 2007/2008 than in other winters. Observations from bottom-mounted ADCP also indicated that, in that winter, longshore currents in the west side of the Taiwan Strait are very different from the previous winter. The northward flow appeared much weaker, the currents were southward in most layers, and the interannual differences were observed throughout the water column. Hydrographic observations in the same period suggest that the large-scale southward intrusion of the Zhe-Min coastal water is the direct cause of the interannual difference. The enhancement of the East Asian monsoon during the 2007/2008 La Niña event is considered as the main reason for the winter current anomalies in the study area.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Barrick D E, Evans M W, Weber B L. Ocean surface currents mapped by radar. Science, 1977, 198:138–144
Paduan J D, Rosenfeld L K. Remotely sensed surface currents in Monterey Bay from shore based HF radar (CODAR). J Geophys Res, 1996, 101:20669–20686
Bjorkstedt E, Roughgarden J. Larval transport and coastal upwelling: An application of HF radar in ecological research. Oceanography, 1997, 10:64–67
Wu X B, Yang S L, Cheng F, et al. Ocean surface currents detection at the eastern China Sea by HF surface wave radar. Chin J Geophys, 2003, 46:340–346
Zhu D Y, Shao H, Li Y, et al. Quality analysis of radial currents measured by a demonstration system of OSMAR HF radar in Fujian Province. J Oceanogr Taiwan Strait, 2007, 26:7–16
Zhu D Y. Applications of High Frequency ground wave radar to coastal ocean-A case study in the Taiwan Strait. Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Xiamen: Xiamen University, 2008
Zhu D Y, Li L, Li Y, et al. Seasonal variation of surface currents in the southwestern Taiwan Strait observed with HF radar. Chin Sci Bull, 2008, 53:2385–2391
Ninno H, Emery K O. Sediments of shallow portions of East China Sea and South China Sea. Geol Soc Am Bull, 1961, 72:731–762
Nitani H. Beginning of the Kuroshio. Kuroshio, Its Physical Aspects. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1972. 129–163
Jan S, Wang J, Chern C S, et al. Seasonal variation of the circulation in the Taiwan Strait. J Mar Syst, 2002, 35:249–268
Hu J Y, Kawamura H, Li C Y, et al. Review on the current and seawater volume transport through the Taiwan Strait. J Oceanogr, 2010, 66:591–610
Chen J Q. Validation of QuikSCAT data and their application in the analysis of wind characteristics of Taiwan Strait and its adjacent waters in winter 2008. J Oceanogr Taiwan Strait, 2011, 30:158–164
Kuo N J, Ho C R. ENSO effect on the sea surface wind and sea surface temperature in the Taiwan Strait. Geophys Res Lett, 2004, 31:L13309
Wu C R, Chao S Y, Chun C. Transient, seasonal and interannual variability of the Taiwan Strait current. J Oceanogr, 2007, 63:821–833
Shang S L, Zhang C Y, Hong H S, et al. Hydrographic and biological changes in the Taiwan Strait during the 1997–1998 El Niño winter. Geophys Res Lett, 2005, 32:L11601
Chen C T A, Jan S, Huang T H, et al. Spring of no Kuroshio intrusion in the southern Taiwan Strait. J Geophys Res, 2010, 115:C08011
Hsieh H J, Chen C A. Tropical fishes killed by the cold. Coral Reefs, 2008, 27:599
Liao E H, Jiang Y W, Li L, et al. The cause of the 2008 cold disaster in the Taiwan Strait. Ocean Modelling, 2013, 62:1–10
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Rights and permissions
This article is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
About this article
Cite this article
Zhu, D., Li, L. & Guo, X. Seasonal and interannual variations of surface current in the southern Taiwan Strait to the west of Taiwan Shoals. Chin. Sci. Bull. 58, 4171–4178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-5907-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-5907-y