2013 Vol. 32, No. 3
Display Method:
2013, 32(3): 1-9.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0282-8
Abstract:
A nested circulation model system based on the Princeton ocean model (POM) is set up to simulate the currentmeter data from a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) deployed at the 30 m depth in the Lunan (South Shandong Province, China) Trough south of the Shandong Peninsula in the summer of 2008, and to study the dynamics of the circulation in the southwestern Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea). The model has reproduced well the observed subtidal current at the mooring site. The results of the model simulation suggest that the bottom topography has strong steering effects on the regional circulation in summer. The model simulation shows that the Subei (North Jiangsu Province, China)coastal current flows northward in summer, in contrast to the southeastward current in the center of the Lunan Trough measured by the moored currentmeter. The analyses of the model results suggest that the southeastward current at the mooring site in the Lunan Trough is forced by the westward wind-driven current along the Lunan coast, which meets the northward Subei coastal current at the head of the Haizhou Bay to flow along an offshore path in the southeastward direction in the Lunan Trough. Analysis suggests that the Subei coastal current, the Lunan coastal current, and the circulation in the Lunan Trough are independent current systems controlled by different dynamics. Therefore, the current measurements in the Lunan Trough cannot be used to represent the Subei coastal current in general.
A nested circulation model system based on the Princeton ocean model (POM) is set up to simulate the currentmeter data from a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) deployed at the 30 m depth in the Lunan (South Shandong Province, China) Trough south of the Shandong Peninsula in the summer of 2008, and to study the dynamics of the circulation in the southwestern Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea). The model has reproduced well the observed subtidal current at the mooring site. The results of the model simulation suggest that the bottom topography has strong steering effects on the regional circulation in summer. The model simulation shows that the Subei (North Jiangsu Province, China)coastal current flows northward in summer, in contrast to the southeastward current in the center of the Lunan Trough measured by the moored currentmeter. The analyses of the model results suggest that the southeastward current at the mooring site in the Lunan Trough is forced by the westward wind-driven current along the Lunan coast, which meets the northward Subei coastal current at the head of the Haizhou Bay to flow along an offshore path in the southeastward direction in the Lunan Trough. Analysis suggests that the Subei coastal current, the Lunan coastal current, and the circulation in the Lunan Trough are independent current systems controlled by different dynamics. Therefore, the current measurements in the Lunan Trough cannot be used to represent the Subei coastal current in general.
2013, 32(3): 10-18.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0283-7
Abstract:
During the summer of 2008, the third CHINARE Arctic Expedition was carried out on board of Xuelong Icebreaker in the central Chukchi Sea. A submersible mooring system was deployed and recovered at Station CN-01 (71°40.024'N, 167°58.910'W) with 33 days of the current profile records, and continuous observation of temperature and salinity data were collected. This mooring station locates in the blank of similar observation area and it is the first time for our Chinese to finish this kind of long-term mooring work in this area. This mooring system finished integrated hydrological observations with long-term continuous record of the whole profile velocity for the first time. Based on time series analysis of temperature, salinity, velocity and flow direction, we get the following main results. (1) During the observation period, the mean surface current velocity is 70.2 cm/s eastward, and velocity reaches its maximum in average at 3 m level with magnitude 90.0 cm/s, direction 206°. (2) In 9-30 m layers, the semidiurnal period variation is the most obvious, the flow direction is quite stable, and the flow is synchronous and consistent vertically. (3) Besides the semidiurnal period variation, the main variation in the upper layer is in 11-d period, with variations in period 5.5, 5.5, and 3.7 d, which reflect the influences of sea surface wind change and maintenance. (4) Near the bottom, the temperature change is correlated and synchronized with the conductivity.
During the summer of 2008, the third CHINARE Arctic Expedition was carried out on board of Xuelong Icebreaker in the central Chukchi Sea. A submersible mooring system was deployed and recovered at Station CN-01 (71°40.024'N, 167°58.910'W) with 33 days of the current profile records, and continuous observation of temperature and salinity data were collected. This mooring station locates in the blank of similar observation area and it is the first time for our Chinese to finish this kind of long-term mooring work in this area. This mooring system finished integrated hydrological observations with long-term continuous record of the whole profile velocity for the first time. Based on time series analysis of temperature, salinity, velocity and flow direction, we get the following main results. (1) During the observation period, the mean surface current velocity is 70.2 cm/s eastward, and velocity reaches its maximum in average at 3 m level with magnitude 90.0 cm/s, direction 206°. (2) In 9-30 m layers, the semidiurnal period variation is the most obvious, the flow direction is quite stable, and the flow is synchronous and consistent vertically. (3) Besides the semidiurnal period variation, the main variation in the upper layer is in 11-d period, with variations in period 5.5, 5.5, and 3.7 d, which reflect the influences of sea surface wind change and maintenance. (4) Near the bottom, the temperature change is correlated and synchronized with the conductivity.
2013, 32(3): 19-27.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0284-6
Abstract:
Based on the data and method offered by Liu et al. (2009), the direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) area are reestimated since the results of the former have been proved to be underestimated. And the result shows that the total rate of energy input into the Ekman-Stokes layer within the ACC area is 852.41 GW, including 649.75 GW of direct wind energy input (76%) and 202.66 GW of Stoke drift-induced energy input (24%). Total increased energy input, due to wave-induced Coriolis-Stokes forcing added to the classical Ekman model, is 52.05 GW, accounting for 6.5% of the wind energy input into the classical Ekman layer. The long-term variability of direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the ACC is also investigated, and the result shows that the Stokes drift hinders the decadal increasing trend of direct wind energy input. Meanwhile, there is a period of 4-5 a in the energy spectrums, as same as the Antarctic circumpolar wave.
Based on the data and method offered by Liu et al. (2009), the direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) area are reestimated since the results of the former have been proved to be underestimated. And the result shows that the total rate of energy input into the Ekman-Stokes layer within the ACC area is 852.41 GW, including 649.75 GW of direct wind energy input (76%) and 202.66 GW of Stoke drift-induced energy input (24%). Total increased energy input, due to wave-induced Coriolis-Stokes forcing added to the classical Ekman model, is 52.05 GW, accounting for 6.5% of the wind energy input into the classical Ekman layer. The long-term variability of direct wind and Stokes drift-induced energy inputs into the Ekman layer within the ACC is also investigated, and the result shows that the Stokes drift hinders the decadal increasing trend of direct wind energy input. Meanwhile, there is a period of 4-5 a in the energy spectrums, as same as the Antarctic circumpolar wave.
2013, 32(3): 28-33.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0285-5
Abstract:
Effect of Langmuir circulation (LC) on upper ocean mixing is investigated by a two-way wave-current coupled model. The model is coupled of the ocean circulation model ROMS (regional ocean modeling system) to the surface wave model SWAN (simulating waves nearshore) via the model-coupling toolkit. The LC already certified its importance by many one-dimensional (1D) research and mechanism analysis work. This work focuses on inducing LC's effect in a three-dimensional (3-D) model and applying it to real field modeling. In ROMS, the Mellor-Yamada turbulence closure mixing scheme is modified by including LC's effect. The SWAN imports bathymetry, free surface and current information from the ROMS while exports significant wave parameters to the ROMS for Stokes wave computing every 6 s. This coupled model is applied to the South China Sea (SCS) during September 2008 cruise. The results show that LC increasing turbulence and deepening mixed layer depth (MLD) at order of O (10 m) in most of the areas, especially in the north part of SCS where most of our measurements operated. The coupled model further includes wave breaking which will brings more energy into water. When LC works together with wave breaking, more energy is transferred into deep layer and accelerates the MLD deepening. In the north part of the SCS, their effects are more obvious. This is consistent with big wind event in the area of the Zhujiang River Delta. The shallow water depth as another reason makes them easy to influence the ocean mixing as well.
Effect of Langmuir circulation (LC) on upper ocean mixing is investigated by a two-way wave-current coupled model. The model is coupled of the ocean circulation model ROMS (regional ocean modeling system) to the surface wave model SWAN (simulating waves nearshore) via the model-coupling toolkit. The LC already certified its importance by many one-dimensional (1D) research and mechanism analysis work. This work focuses on inducing LC's effect in a three-dimensional (3-D) model and applying it to real field modeling. In ROMS, the Mellor-Yamada turbulence closure mixing scheme is modified by including LC's effect. The SWAN imports bathymetry, free surface and current information from the ROMS while exports significant wave parameters to the ROMS for Stokes wave computing every 6 s. This coupled model is applied to the South China Sea (SCS) during September 2008 cruise. The results show that LC increasing turbulence and deepening mixed layer depth (MLD) at order of O (10 m) in most of the areas, especially in the north part of SCS where most of our measurements operated. The coupled model further includes wave breaking which will brings more energy into water. When LC works together with wave breaking, more energy is transferred into deep layer and accelerates the MLD deepening. In the north part of the SCS, their effects are more obvious. This is consistent with big wind event in the area of the Zhujiang River Delta. The shallow water depth as another reason makes them easy to influence the ocean mixing as well.
2013, 32(3): 34-41.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0286-4
Abstract:
A self adaptive three-dimensional baroclinic model is designed. A horizontal temperature gradient is used to control the grid size, which can improve computational precision in the fronts without inordinately increasing computation in the whole area. A simulation of the development and disappearance of the front in the Huanghai Sea is conducted with this model. Simulations of temperature distribution throughout the year are also conducted. The computational result agrees well with the observation.
A self adaptive three-dimensional baroclinic model is designed. A horizontal temperature gradient is used to control the grid size, which can improve computational precision in the fronts without inordinately increasing computation in the whole area. A simulation of the development and disappearance of the front in the Huanghai Sea is conducted with this model. Simulations of temperature distribution throughout the year are also conducted. The computational result agrees well with the observation.
2013, 32(3): 42-47.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0287-3
Abstract:
Using conductivity-Temperature-depth data of a recent cruise during July 22-28, 2008 and historical data, it is found that temperature inversions occur from time to time in the Huanghai Sea(Yellow Sea) cold water mass (HSCWM) in summer. The temperature inversions are produced by the movement of the fresh and cold HSCWM masses above the warm and saline Huanghai Sea Warm Current water at the central bottom of the Huanghai Sea Trough. The non-homogeneous profiles of the temperature and the salinity suggest that vertical mixing in the HSCWM, which is of great importance to the circulation in the Huanghai Sea in summer, is weak. Trajectories of satellite-tracked surface drifters suggest that waters in the northern reach of the Huanghai Sea move southward along the 40-50 m isobaths and descend into the southern Huanghai Sea to form the western core of the HSCWM.
Using conductivity-Temperature-depth data of a recent cruise during July 22-28, 2008 and historical data, it is found that temperature inversions occur from time to time in the Huanghai Sea(Yellow Sea) cold water mass (HSCWM) in summer. The temperature inversions are produced by the movement of the fresh and cold HSCWM masses above the warm and saline Huanghai Sea Warm Current water at the central bottom of the Huanghai Sea Trough. The non-homogeneous profiles of the temperature and the salinity suggest that vertical mixing in the HSCWM, which is of great importance to the circulation in the Huanghai Sea in summer, is weak. Trajectories of satellite-tracked surface drifters suggest that waters in the northern reach of the Huanghai Sea move southward along the 40-50 m isobaths and descend into the southern Huanghai Sea to form the western core of the HSCWM.
2013, 32(3): 48-53.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0288-2
Abstract:
The global surface temperature change since the mid-19th century has caused general concern and intensive study. However, long-term changes in the marginal seas, including the seas east of China, are not well understood because long-term observations are sparse and, even when they exist, they are over limited areas. Preliminary results on the long-term variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in summer and winter in the seas east of China during the period of 1957-2001 are reported using the Ocean Science Database of Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the coastal hydrological station in situ and satellite data. The results show well-defined warming trends in the study area. However warming and cooling trends vary from decade to decade, with steady and rapid warming trends after the 1980s and complicated spatial patterns. The distribution of SST variation is intricate and more blurred in the areas far away from the Kuroshio system. Both historical and satellite data sets show significant warming trends after 1985. The warming trends are larger and spread to wider areas in winter than in summer, which means decrease in the seasonal cycle of SST probably linked with recently observed increase of the tropical zooplankton species in the region. Spatial structures of the SST trends are roughly consistent with the circulation pattern especially in winter when the meridional SST gradients are larger, suggesting that a horizontal advection may play an important role in the long-term SST variability in winter.
The global surface temperature change since the mid-19th century has caused general concern and intensive study. However, long-term changes in the marginal seas, including the seas east of China, are not well understood because long-term observations are sparse and, even when they exist, they are over limited areas. Preliminary results on the long-term variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in summer and winter in the seas east of China during the period of 1957-2001 are reported using the Ocean Science Database of Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the coastal hydrological station in situ and satellite data. The results show well-defined warming trends in the study area. However warming and cooling trends vary from decade to decade, with steady and rapid warming trends after the 1980s and complicated spatial patterns. The distribution of SST variation is intricate and more blurred in the areas far away from the Kuroshio system. Both historical and satellite data sets show significant warming trends after 1985. The warming trends are larger and spread to wider areas in winter than in summer, which means decrease in the seasonal cycle of SST probably linked with recently observed increase of the tropical zooplankton species in the region. Spatial structures of the SST trends are roughly consistent with the circulation pattern especially in winter when the meridional SST gradients are larger, suggesting that a horizontal advection may play an important role in the long-term SST variability in winter.
2013, 32(3): 54-62.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0289-1
Abstract:
The dramatic decline of summer sea ice extent and thickness has been witnessed in the western Arctic Ocean in recent decades, which has motivated scientists to search for possible factors driving the sea ice variability. An eddy-resolving, ice-ocean coupled model covering the entire Arctic Ocean is implemented, with focus on the western Arctic Ocean. Special attention is paid to the summer Alaskan coastal current (ACC), which has a high temperature (up to 5℃ or more) in the upper layer due to the solar radiation over the open water at the lower latitude. Downstream of the ACC after Barrow Point, a surface-intensified anticyclonic eddy is frequently generated and propagate towards the Canada Basin during the summer season when sea ice has retreated away from the coast. Such an eddy has a warm core, and its source is high-temperature ACC water. A typical warm-core eddy is traced. It is trapped just below summer sea ice melt water and has a thickness about 60 m. Temperature in the eddy core reaches 2-3℃, and most water inside the eddy has a temperature over 1℃. With a definition of the eddy boundary, an eddy heat is calculated, which can melt 1 600 km2 of 1 m thick sea ice under extreme conditions.
The dramatic decline of summer sea ice extent and thickness has been witnessed in the western Arctic Ocean in recent decades, which has motivated scientists to search for possible factors driving the sea ice variability. An eddy-resolving, ice-ocean coupled model covering the entire Arctic Ocean is implemented, with focus on the western Arctic Ocean. Special attention is paid to the summer Alaskan coastal current (ACC), which has a high temperature (up to 5℃ or more) in the upper layer due to the solar radiation over the open water at the lower latitude. Downstream of the ACC after Barrow Point, a surface-intensified anticyclonic eddy is frequently generated and propagate towards the Canada Basin during the summer season when sea ice has retreated away from the coast. Such an eddy has a warm core, and its source is high-temperature ACC water. A typical warm-core eddy is traced. It is trapped just below summer sea ice melt water and has a thickness about 60 m. Temperature in the eddy core reaches 2-3℃, and most water inside the eddy has a temperature over 1℃. With a definition of the eddy boundary, an eddy heat is calculated, which can melt 1 600 km2 of 1 m thick sea ice under extreme conditions.
2013, 32(3): 63-70.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0290-8
Abstract:
A flux system deployed on a moored buoy has been described, which is capable of directly estimating the airsea fluxes after removing the contamination in the signal due to buoy motion. A triple loop fitting method has been demonstrated for determining the three angular offsets between measurement axes of the sonic anemometer and motion pack. The data collected in an experiment in the Northern Huanghai Sea is used to correct the three sonic anemometer measurements of turbulent wind for buoy motion. The effective removal of wave-scale motion from the spectra and cospectra are demonstrated. Estimates of along-wind momentum flux, sensible heat flux and latent heat flux calculated by the eddy correlation method based on data obtained by sonic anemometer 81000V are shown to be in the same trend and scale with those determined by the bulk aerodynamic method after motion correction. The motion correction not only greatly improve the estimation of the momentum flux but also has a great impact on the calculated sensible heat flux.
A flux system deployed on a moored buoy has been described, which is capable of directly estimating the airsea fluxes after removing the contamination in the signal due to buoy motion. A triple loop fitting method has been demonstrated for determining the three angular offsets between measurement axes of the sonic anemometer and motion pack. The data collected in an experiment in the Northern Huanghai Sea is used to correct the three sonic anemometer measurements of turbulent wind for buoy motion. The effective removal of wave-scale motion from the spectra and cospectra are demonstrated. Estimates of along-wind momentum flux, sensible heat flux and latent heat flux calculated by the eddy correlation method based on data obtained by sonic anemometer 81000V are shown to be in the same trend and scale with those determined by the bulk aerodynamic method after motion correction. The motion correction not only greatly improve the estimation of the momentum flux but also has a great impact on the calculated sensible heat flux.
2013, 32(3): 71-79.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0291-7
Abstract:
Interannual variations of the air-sea CO2 exchange from 1965 to 2000 in the Pacific Ocean are studied with a Pacific Ocean model. Two numerical experiments are performed, including the control run that is forced by climatological monthly mean physical data and the climate-change run that is forced by interannually varying monthly mean physical data. Climatological monthly winds are used in both runs to calculate the coefficient of air-sea CO2 exchange. The analysis through the differences between the two runs shows that in the tropical Pacific the variation of export production induced by interannual variations of the physical fields is negatively correlated with that of the air-sea CO2 flux, while there is no correlation or a weak positive correlation in the subtropical North and South Pacific. It indicates that the variation of the physical fields can modulate the variation of the air-sea CO2 flux in converse ways in the tropical Pacific by changing the direct transport and biochemical process. Under the interannually varying monthly mean forcing, the simulated EOF1 of the air-sea CO2 flux is basically consistent with that of sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific, but contrary in the two subtropical Pacific Ocean. The correlation coefficient between the regionally integrated air-sea CO2 flux and area-mean SST shows that when the air-sea CO2 flux lags SST by about 5 months, the positive coefficient in the three regions is largest, indicating that in the tropical Pacific or on the longer time scale in the three regions, physical processes control the flux-SST relationship.
Interannual variations of the air-sea CO2 exchange from 1965 to 2000 in the Pacific Ocean are studied with a Pacific Ocean model. Two numerical experiments are performed, including the control run that is forced by climatological monthly mean physical data and the climate-change run that is forced by interannually varying monthly mean physical data. Climatological monthly winds are used in both runs to calculate the coefficient of air-sea CO2 exchange. The analysis through the differences between the two runs shows that in the tropical Pacific the variation of export production induced by interannual variations of the physical fields is negatively correlated with that of the air-sea CO2 flux, while there is no correlation or a weak positive correlation in the subtropical North and South Pacific. It indicates that the variation of the physical fields can modulate the variation of the air-sea CO2 flux in converse ways in the tropical Pacific by changing the direct transport and biochemical process. Under the interannually varying monthly mean forcing, the simulated EOF1 of the air-sea CO2 flux is basically consistent with that of sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific, but contrary in the two subtropical Pacific Ocean. The correlation coefficient between the regionally integrated air-sea CO2 flux and area-mean SST shows that when the air-sea CO2 flux lags SST by about 5 months, the positive coefficient in the three regions is largest, indicating that in the tropical Pacific or on the longer time scale in the three regions, physical processes control the flux-SST relationship.
2013, 32(3): 80-87.
doi: 10.1007/s13131-013-0292-6
Abstract:
In order to solve the so-called "bull-eye" problem caused by using a simple bilinear interpolation as an observational mapping operator in the cost function in the multigrid three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation scheme, a smoothing term, equivalent to a penalty term, is introduced into the cost function to serve as a means of troubleshooting. A theoretical analysis is first performed to figure out what on earth results in the issue of "bull-eye", and then the meaning of such smoothing term is elucidated and the uniqueness of solution of the multigrid 3DVAR with the smoothing term added is discussed through the theoretical deduction for one-dimensional (1D) case, and two idealized data assimilation experiments (one-and two-dimensional (2D) cases). By exploring the relationship between the smoothing term and the recursive filter theoretically and practically, it is revealed why satisfied analysis results can be achieved by using such proposed solution for the issue of the multigrid 3DVAR.
In order to solve the so-called "bull-eye" problem caused by using a simple bilinear interpolation as an observational mapping operator in the cost function in the multigrid three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation scheme, a smoothing term, equivalent to a penalty term, is introduced into the cost function to serve as a means of troubleshooting. A theoretical analysis is first performed to figure out what on earth results in the issue of "bull-eye", and then the meaning of such smoothing term is elucidated and the uniqueness of solution of the multigrid 3DVAR with the smoothing term added is discussed through the theoretical deduction for one-dimensional (1D) case, and two idealized data assimilation experiments (one-and two-dimensional (2D) cases). By exploring the relationship between the smoothing term and the recursive filter theoretically and practically, it is revealed why satisfied analysis results can be achieved by using such proposed solution for the issue of the multigrid 3DVAR.
