Premium
Low frequency variability of South China Sea surface circulation from 11 years of satellite altimeter data
Author(s) -
Fang Wendong,
Guo Junjian,
Shi Ping,
Mao Qingwen
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl027431
Subject(s) - empirical orthogonal functions , climatology , altimeter , monsoon , sea surface temperature , geology , satellite , sea surface height , spatial distribution , spatial variability , environmental science , mode (computer interface) , oceanography , remote sensing , statistics , mathematics , computer science , engineering , aerospace engineering , operating system
Eleven years of sea surface height from satellite altimetry data are used to describe the low frequency variability of South China Sea (SCS) surface circulation through Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. The annual variability clearly agrees with previous studies, revealing the SCS response to seasonal fluctuations of the overlaying monsoon winds. The summer eastward jet off west coast of SCS is shown from the second seasonal EOF mode. Two new patterns of year‐to‐year and decadal variability are presented for the first time from measurements. Long term positive trend appears from 1993 to 2001 and reverses the sign of its trend again from 2001 to 2003. Abnormal events occur in 1994–1995, in 1997–1998 and in 2002 with different spatial scales regarding both basin‐scale distribution and meso‐scale variability located off the western SCS. Association of these events with the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation is discussed.