Sea level variability in East China Sea and its response to ENSO  

作　　者：Jun-cheng ZUO Qian-qian HE Chang-lin CHEN Mei-xiang CHEN Qing XU 

机构地区：[1]College of Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, P. R. China [2]HYDROCHINA Huadong Engineering Corporation, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China [3]State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administ~ ation, Hangzhou 310012, P. R. China

出　　处：《Water Science and Engineering》2012年第2期164-174,共11页水科学与水工程（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 program,Grant No 2007CB411807);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No40976006 and 40906002);the National Marine Public Welfare Research Project of China(Grant No201005019);the Project of Key Laboratory of Coastal Disasters and Defense of Ministry of Education of China(Grant No200802)

摘　　要：Sea level variability in the East China Sea （ECS） was examined based primarily on the analysis of TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry data and tide gauge data as well as numerical simulation with the Princeton ocean model （POM）. It is concluded that the inter-annual sea level variation in the ECS is negatively correlated with the ENSO index, and that the impact is more apparent in the southern area than in the northern area. Both data analysis and numerical model results also show that the sea level was lower during the typical E1 Niflo period of 1997 to 1998. E1 Nifio also causes the decrease of the annual sea level variation range in the ECS. This phenomenon is especially evident in the southern ECS. The impacts of wind stress and ocean circulation on the sea level variation in the ECS are also discussed in this paper. It is found that the wind stress most strongly affecting the sea level was in the directions of 70° and 20° south of east,, respectively, over the northern and southern areas of the ECS. The northwest wind is particularly strong when E1 Nifio occurs, and sea water is transported southeastward, which lowers the sea level in the southern ECS. The sea level variation in the southern ECS is also significantly affected by the strengthening of the Kuroshio. During the strengthening period of the Kuroshio, the sea level in the ECS usually drops, while the sea level rises when the Kuroshio weakens.Sea level variability in the East China Sea （ECS） was examined based primarily on the analysis of TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry data and tide gauge data as well as numerical simulation with the Princeton ocean model （POM）. It is concluded that the inter-annual sea level variation in the ECS is negatively correlated with the ENSO index, and that the impact is more apparent in the southern area than in the northern area. Both data analysis and numerical model results also show that the sea level was lower during the typical E1 Niflo period of 1997 to 1998. E1 Nifio also causes the decrease of the annual sea level variation range in the ECS. This phenomenon is especially evident in the southern ECS. The impacts of wind stress and ocean circulation on the sea level variation in the ECS are also discussed in this paper. It is found that the wind stress most strongly affecting the sea level was in the directions of 70° and 20° south of east,, respectively, over the northern and southern areas of the ECS. The northwest wind is particularly strong when E1 Nifio occurs, and sea water is transported southeastward, which lowers the sea level in the southern ECS. The sea level variation in the southern ECS is also significantly affected by the strengthening of the Kuroshio. During the strengthening period of the Kuroshio, the sea level in the ECS usually drops, while the sea level rises when the Kuroshio weakens.

关 键 词：East China Sea sea level variation ENSO 

分 类 号：P315.7[天文地球—地震学] TV131[天文地球—固体地球物理学]