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Seasonal characteristics and forcing mechanisms of the surface Kuroshio branch intrusion into the South China Sea

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Abstract

Using observational data of Argos satellite-tracked drifters from 1988 to 2012, we analyzed seasonal characteristics of the surface Kuroshio branch (KB) intrusion into the South China Sea (SCS). The analysis results are as follows. The surface KB originates from the southern Balintang Channel (BLTC) and Babuyan Channel (BBYC). It begins in late September, reaches peak strength in November–December, and declines at the end of March. The mean speed of drifters along the KB path during their traverse of the Luzon Strait (LS) was 43% faster than during the two days before entering the LS for the flow originating from the southern BLTC, but there was a 24% increase in speed for the flow from the BBYC. The observations show that in winter, monthly-mean sea-level anomalies (SLAs) were positive southwest of Taiwan Island and extended to the northern LS. The SLAs were negative northwest of Luzon Island and extended to the southern LS, which acted like a pump, forcing a part of Kuroshio water westward into the SCS. The condition under which the KB forms was solved by a set of simplified motion equations. The results indicate that whether the KB can form depends upon the sea-level gradient at the central LS and region to the west, as well as the location, speed and direction of Kuroshio surface water when it enters the LS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Science and Numerical Modeling, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Jingsong Guo, Zhixin Zhang, Changshui Xia & Binghuo Guo

  2. Laboratory for Regional Oceanography and Numerical Modeling, Pilot National Laboratory of Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266061, China

    Jingsong Guo, Zhixin Zhang, Changshui Xia & Binghuo Guo

Authors
  1. Jingsong Guo
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  2. Zhixin Zhang
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  3. Changshui Xia
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  4. Binghuo Guo
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Correspondence to Changshui Xia.

Additional information

Foundation item: The National Key Research and Development Program of China under contract Nos 2016YFC1401403, 2016YFB0201103 and 2017YFA0604101; the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences under contract No. XDA11020301; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 41206025; the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association Program under contract No. DY135-E2-1-06.

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Guo, J., Zhang, Z., Xia, C. et al. Seasonal characteristics and forcing mechanisms of the surface Kuroshio branch intrusion into the South China Sea. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 38, 13–21 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1132-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1132-x

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