Coupling and propagating of mesoscale sea level variability between the western Pacific and the South China Sea

The coupling and propagating features of mesoscale sea level variability between the western Pacific (WP) and the South China Sea (SCS) were studied based on time series analyses of satellite altimeter measured, along-track sea surface height anomalies (SSHA) along 21°N and the slope of the northern SCS. The analyses show that mesoscale sea level fluctuations in the WP have rather limited coherent effects on the SCS, and no statistically significant propagation of mesoscale variability through the Luzon Strait was observed except in the 45-day band. Evidence suggests that the 45-day fluctuation is very much likely a character of the Kuroshio originating from its low-latitude beginning. It is also sug- gested that the westward propagating Rossby waves will deform when they encounter the dynamical barrier of the Kuroshio. The Kuroshio will then acts on the SCS in its own way. The SCS is a relatively isolated system in the sense of coupling and propagating of oceanic mesoscale waves.

Coupling and propagating of mesoscale sea level variability between the western Pacific and the South China Sea

The coupling and propagating features of mesoscale sea level variability between the western Pacific (WP) and the South China Sea (SCS) were studied based on time series analyses of satellite altimeter measured, along-track sea surface height anomalies (SSHA) along 21°N and the slope of the northern SCS. The analyses show that mesoscale sea level fluctuations in the WP have rather limited coherent effects on the SCS, and no statistically significant propagation of mesoscale variability through the Luzon Strait was observed except in the 45-day band. Evidence suggests that the 45-day fluctuation is very much likely a character of the Kuroshio originating from its low-latitude beginning. It is also suggested that the westward propagating Rossby waves will deform when they encounter the dynamical barrier of the Kuroshio. The Kuroshio will then acts on the SCS in its own way. The SCS is a relatively isolated system in the sense of coupling and propagating of oceanic mesoscale waves. Supported by the National Key Basic Research Development Program (Grant No. G1999043807) and the Key International S&T Cooperation Project (Grant No. 2002CB714001)