Physical Oceanography of the Yellow and East China Sea

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Physical Oceanography of the Yellow and East
China Sea

• Dr. Steven R. Ramp
• Research Professor
• Naval Postgraduate School

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Bottom Topography of the East China Sea. The
proposed ASIAEX study region is indicated
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General Circulation of the Yellow and East China
Sea
from Chen et al., 1986
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Mean surface currents in the ECS, averaged from
31 years of GEK data. from Qiu and Imasato, 1990
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Bi-Modal Structure of the Kuroshio Exiting the ECS
Northern Position
Southern Position
from Feng et al., 2000
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Velocity and Potential Vorticity Cross-Sections
From the Kuroshio Near the ASIAEX Study Region
Alongshore Velocity
Potential Vorticity
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Temperature
Salinity
Surface
Yellow Sea T/S Characteristics Winter
Bottom
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Salinity
Temperature
Surface
Yellow Sea T/S Characteristics Summer
Bottom
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M2 (semidiurnal) Tidal Ellipses in the Yellow and
East China Sea from Larsen et al., 1985
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Residual Tidal Currents in the Yellow Sea from
the Lee and Beardsley (1999) stratified
model. These currents result from the
rectification of tidal currents by topography.
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Surface Temperature Fronts in the Yellow and East
China Sea from Hickox et al., 2000
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East China Sea ASIAEX Site Locator Map

Mooring Site
CTD Transect
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Across-Shelf Temperature and Salinity
Sections From the ASIAEX Pilot Study Cruise,
April 2000
Temperature
Salinity
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Along and Across-Shore ADCP Velocity
Sections ASIAEX Pilot Study Cruise, April 2000
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Alongshore (red) and Across-shore (blue) velocity
components from the ASIAEX mooring, ECS Shelf
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Expanded x-axis to show internal solitary waves
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Expanded Even more..
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Soliton Distributions in the Central Yellow Sea
From Hsu et al., 2000
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Receive Arrays WHOI/NPS/PRC
Oceanographic Moorings
400 Hz Source WHOI/NPS
LOCO Moorings
Tomo Moorings Japan
ECS Volume Interaction Sampling Plan
SEASOAR track
J-15 Source Track
Kuroshio Edge