Intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal variability in sea surface height over the South China Sea

Presenter: Wan-Hsin Yang

Date: 2015/12/03

Abstract

With the observational data from the altimetry satellites can know the real variability in the ocean. The model result is calculated by the mechanism function with meaningful parameter. Compared the observational data and the model result, can know the possible mechanisms that drive the variability in sea surface height.
According to the result, sea surface height variation exhibits clear seasonal signal. Specifically strong intraseasonal variability exists in the following regions: in the west of Luzon Strait, the Gulf of Thailand, and the southern one southeast of Vietnam. In the west of Luzon Strait, the variability is relative to the transport volumes from the Pacific Ocean into the South China Sea. In the Gulf of Thailand, sea surface variation is dominated by barotropic response to intraseasonal wind stress forcing. Along the Vietnam offshore jet during summer, where intraseasonal variability is forced by wind curls created by Annam Cordillera.
The interannual variability of sea surface height in the South China Sea and its relationship with ENSO (El Niño and Southern Oscillation). With the cross correlation analysis and the wavelet coherence analysis, there are high correlation between the sea level variability and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI).

 

Reference

Zhuang, W., Xie, S. P., Wang, D., Taguchi, B., Aiki, H., & Sasaki, H. (2010). Intraseasonal variability in sea surface height over the South China Sea.Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (1978–2012)115(C4).

 

Rong, Z., Liu, Y., Zong, H., & Cheng, Y. (2007). Interannual sea level variability in the South China Sea and its response to ENSO. Global and Planetary Change55(4), 257-272.