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Mixed layer thermodynamics of the Southern South China Sea

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Abstract

Seasonal and inter-annual variability of the mixed layer temperature in the Southern South China Sea (SSCS) is investigated using a regional ocean circulation model simulation. The mixed layer depth (MLD) over the SSCS exhibits a strong seasonal signal with deeper MLDs during the northeast and southwest monsoons. The main factor that drives the mixed layer temperature variation in the SSCS is the air-sea heat fluxes, with vertical ocean processes acting as a relatively weak negative feedback. In general, the budget analysis demonstrates a net balance between the vertical ocean processes and surface heat flux during the pre-monsoon and southwest monsoon. Northeast monsoon period is noted by an offsetting of surface heat flux, horizontal and vertical ocean processes. The first dominant mode of mixed layer temperature inter-annual variability in the SSCS shows significant correlation (0.34) with the El Nino phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean and is best correlated (0.67) with a lag of 5 months.

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Acknowledgments

The ocean model ROMS_AGRIF is provided by the IRD from their website http://www.romsagrif.org. We acknowledge ECMWF and UMD for the ERA-interim and SODA datasets. AVHRR-pathfinder SST and T/P SSHA are obtained from http://poet.jpl.nasa.gov and www.aviso.oeanobs.com, respectively. We thank the reviewers and the editor for their valuable comments, which significantly improved the present work. We also thank Prof. P. M. Rizzoli for discussions and comments. Figures are drawn using ferret.

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  1. Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119222, Singapore

    Bijoy Thompson & Pavel Tkalich

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  1. Bijoy Thompson
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Correspondence to Bijoy Thompson.

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Thompson, B., Tkalich, P. Mixed layer thermodynamics of the Southern South China Sea. Clim Dyn 43, 2061–2075 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-013-2030-3

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