Studies of South China Sea circulation and thermal structure using a three dimensional numerical model
By:  Nathan L. Edmons
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 88
Description: The seasonal ocean circulation and thermal structure in the South China Sea (SCS) were studied numerically      using the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) with 20 km horizontal resolution and 23 sigma levels conforming to      a realistic bottom topography. A sixteen month control run was performed using climatological monthly mean      wind stresses and restoring type salt and heat fluxes as surface forcing terms and observational oceanic      inflow/outflow at the open boundaries. The seasonally averaged effects of isolated forcing terms are      presented and analyzed from the following experiments: 1) non-linear effects removed, 2) wind effects      removed, 3) open boundary inflow/outflow set to zero, and 4) open boundary inflow/outflow doubled. This      procedure allowed analysis of spatial and temporal contributions of the isolated parameter to the general      hydrology of the SCS and some of its specific features. A coastal jet is identified and analyzed, as are a      mesoscale topographic gyre and several counter currents. Non-linearity is shown to be important to the      energy and volume transport of baroclinic eddy features, but otherwise insignificant. Boundary transport from      open lateral boundaries is determined to be of considerable importance to summer circulation and thermal      structure, with little effect found for the winter monsoon hydrology. In general, monsoonal circulation patterns      and upwelling phenomena are determined and forced by the wind, while boundary transport effects play a      secondary role in determining the magnitude of the circulation velocities.
Notes: Thesis advisor(s): Peter Chu.

"September 1996."

Thesis (M.S. in Physical Oceanography) Naval Postgraduate School, September 1996.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-86).

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

Also available online.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

US Navy (USN) author.

dk/dk cc:9996 01/21/97