Long-term temperature variation of the Southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass from 1976 to 2006

• Published in: Chinese journal of oceanology and limnology Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 1032 - 1044
• Main Author: 李昂 于非 司广成 魏传杰
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 01.09.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air temperature; Annual variations; China; Cold water; Cold water masses; Cooling; data collection; Deep layer; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Heat; Heat flux; Heat transfer; Intrusion; Korean Peninsula; Long term; Oceanographic data; Oceanographic institutions; Oceanography; Physics; salinity; Sea surface; Sea surface temperature; Seasonal variation; Seasonal variations; surface water temperature; Temperature; Temperature (air-sea); Temperature data; Temperature effects; Thermocline; Trends; Warm water; water; Water circulation; Wind speed; Winter; Yellow Sea; 冬季气温; 数据中心; 水文数据; 海洋表面温度; 温度变化; 温跃层; 热输入; 黄海冷水团; Yellow Sea; China; Korean Peninsula; Southern Yellow Cold Water Mass (SYSCWM); influence factor; interannual variability; long-term trend
• ISSN: 0254-4059; 2096-5508; 1993-5005; 2523-3521
• DOI: 10.1007/s00343-017-6037-1

This paper discusses the long-term temperature variation of the Southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （SYSCWM） and examines those factors that influence the SYSCWM, based on hydrographic datasets of the China National Standard Section and the Korea Oceanographic Data Center. Surface air temperature, meridional wind speed, and sea surface temperature data are used to describe the seasonal changes. Mean temperature of the two centers of the SYSCWM had different long-term trends. The temperature of the center in the west of the SYSCWM was rising whereas that of the center in the east was falling. Mean temperature of the western center was related to warm water intrusion of the Yellow Sea Warm Current, the winter meridional wind, and the winter air temperature. Summer process played a primary role in the cooling trend of temperature in the eastern center. A decreasing trend of salinity in the eastern half of the SYSCWM showed that warm water intrusion from the south might weaken, as could the SYSCWM circulation. Weakened circulation provided less horizontal heat input to the eastern half of the SYSCWM. Less lateral heat input may have led to the decreasing trend in temperature of the eastern center of the SYSCWM. Further, warmer sea surface temperatures and less heat input in the deep layers intensified the thermocline of the eastern SYSCWM. A stronger thermocline had less heat flux input from upper layers to this half of the SYSCWM. Stronger thermocline and weakened heat input can be seen as two main causes of the cooling temperature trend of the eastern center of the SYSCWM.