Abstract
The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the largest marginal seas of the West Pacific Ocean, with a surface area of 3.5 × lO6 km2. It extends across the tropical and sub-tropical zones, with an average annual precipitation of 2000 mm. A large amount of freshwater enters the sea from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River in the north and from the Mekong River in the southwest. The SCS is connected to the East China Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Sulu Sea, the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean through the Taiwan, Bashi, Balabac, Karimata, and Malacca straits, respectively. All these straits are narrow and shallow, except the Bashi Channel whose maximum depth is over 2000 m. Consequently, the SCS is a semi-enclosed water body. The bottom topography of the SCS is complicated. Wide continental shelves appear in the north and in the south; steep slopes in the east and in the west. The 200 m isobath encloses a NE-elongated rhomboid basin. The Luzon, Manila, and Nansha troughs are distributed on the east slope, while the Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands form underwater plateaus. Strong northeastly winter monsoon and weaker southwestly summer monsoon prevail at the sea surface. Due to the great expanse of the SCS, the beginning and ending of winter or summer monsoon may lag for up to three months from the south to the north. During the transitional periods between winter and summer monsoons, different controlling wind fields may coexist at the sea surface. These environmental factors have determined the hydrological features and the complex current patterns of the SCS.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brekhovskikh, A. L., Demin, Yu L., and Shakhanova, T. V. (1983) “Climatic structure of sea level and surface gradient current for the world ocean in summer and winter”, Oceanology 23(2), 160–165.
Chen, Jin-quan, Fu, Zi-lang, and Li, Fa-xi (1982) “A study of upwelling over Minnan-Taiwan shoal fishing ground”, Taiwan Strait 1(2), 5–13 (in Chinese).
Chu, Tsu-you (1970) “Report on the variation of velocity and volume transport of the Kuroshio” in J. D. Marr (ed.), The Kuroshio—A symposium on the Japan Current, East-West Center Press, Honolulu, pp. 163–174.
Chuang, Wen-sen (1986) “A note on the driving mechanisms of current in the Taiwan Strait”, J. of the Oceanogr. Soc. of Japan 42, 355–361.
Dale, W. L. (1956) “Wind and drift currents in the South China Sea”, The Malayan J. of Tropical Geography 8, 1–31.
FIO (Fujian Institute of Oceanology) (1989) A Comprehensive Oceanographic Survey of the Central and Northern Part of the Taiwan Strait, Science Press, Beijing, pp. 180–188 (in Chinese).
Guan, Bing-xian (1978) “The warm current in the South China Sea—a current currenting against the wind in winter in the open sea off Guangdong Province”, Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 9(2), 117–127 (in Chinese).
Guan, Bing-xian (1992) “Some features of the circulation structure and the ocean-atmosphere relationship in the low-latitude western area of northern Pacific Ocean, in Qing-cun Zeng et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the Symposium on Ocean Circulation, China Ocean Press, Beijing, pp. 1–12.
Guo, Zhong-xin and Fang, Wen-dong (1988) “The Kuroshio in Bashi Channel and its transport during September 1985”, Tropic Oceanology 7(2), 13–19 (in Chinese).
Han, Wu-ying, Wang Ming-biao, and Ma, Ke-mei (1990) “On the lowest surface water temperature area of China Sea in summer—the upwelling along the east coast of Hainan Island”, Oceanologia et Liinnologia Sinica 21(3), 267–275 (in Chinese).
Hu, Jian-yu and Liu, Min-shi (1992) “The current structure during summer in southern Taiwan Strait” Tropic Oceanology 11(4), 42–47 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Huang, Qi-zhou (1984) “Physical oceanography of the Bashi Channel”, Nanhai Studia Marina Sinica 6,.53–67 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Huang, Qi-zhou, Wang, Wen-zhi, and Fu, Sun-cheng “Circulation of intermediate and deep layer currents for the areas adjacent to Nansha Islands in summer and winter”, Tropic Oceanology (in press) (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Huang, Qi-zhou (1992) “Currents in the areas adjacent to Nansha Islands (manuscript, in Chinese).
Hung, T., Tsai, C. C. H. and Chen, N. (1986) “Chemical and biomass studies (1) evidence of upwelling off the southwestern coast of Taiwan”, Acta Oceanographica Taiwanica (17), 29–44.
Hydrographie Department, Admiralty (1945) “The surface currents of the South China Sea, Java, Celebes and Sulu seas”, H. D. 409: plate 1–12.
Ke, Pei-hui, Huang, Qi-zhou, and Chen, Fu-pei, Hong, Hua-wen, and Feng, Shi-ying (1987) “Preliminaiy analysis of the continental shelf current driven by typhoon in the Northern South China Sea”, Chinese J. of Atmospheric Sciences, 11(4), 497–502.
Luo, Si-wei (1963) “The analysis of formation of shear line over the eastern flank of plateau flank in our country in Winter”, Acta Meteorologica Sinica 33(3), 303–319 (in Chinese).
Ma, Ying-liang, Mao, Ming, and Wang, Wen-zhi, Huang, Qi-zhou, Fu, Sun-cheng, Li, Y. S. and Li, C. W. (1992) “A three-dimensional numerical simulation of the South China Sea circulation”, Tropic Oceanology 11(4), 34–41 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Mao, Ming, Wang, Wen-zhi, and Huang, Qi-zhou (1992) “A three dimensional numerical simulation of the South China Sea Circulation”, Tropic Oceanology 11(4), 34–41 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Nitain, H. (1970) “Oceanographic conditions in the sea east of the Philippines and Luzon Strait in summer of 1965 and 1966”, in J. D. Marr (ed.), The Kuroshio—A Symposium on Japan Current, East-West Center Press, Honolulu, pp. 213–232.
Pohlmann, T. (1987) “A three dimensional circulation model of the South China Sea”, in J. C. J. Nihoul and B. M. Jamart (eds.), Three-Dimensional Models of Marine and Estuarine Dynamics, Elsevier, pp. 245–268.
Pu, Shu-zhong, Yu, Hui-ling, and Jiang, Song-nian (1992) “Branchings of Kuroshio into Bashi Channel and the South China Sea”, Tropic Oceanology 11(2), 1–8 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Qiu, De-zhong, Yang, Tian-hong, and Guo, Zhong-xin (1984) “A west-currenting current in the northern part of the South China Sea in summer”, Tropic Oceanology 3(4), 65–73 (in Chinese, with English abstract).
SCSIO (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica) (1982) Integrated Investigation Report on Sea Area of the South China Sea (I), Science Press, Beijing, pp. 128–138 (in Chinese).
SCSIO (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica) (1985) Integrated Investigation Report on Sea Area of the South China Sea (II), Science Presss, Beijing, pp. 183–231 (in Chinese).
SCSIO (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica) (1987) Zengmu Ansha—Integrated Investigation Report at the South Boundary of PRC, Science Press, Beijing, pp. 66–72 (in Chinese).
Swallow, J. C. (1976) “Variable currents in mid-ocean”, Oceanus 19(13), 18–25.
Uda, M. and Nakao, T. (1974) “Water masses and currents in the South China Sea and their seasonal changes”, in The Kuroshio Proceedings of the 3rd CSK Symposium, Bangkok, Thailand, 1972, pp. 161–188.
Wang, Joe (1986) “Observation of abyssal currents in the northern South China Sea”, Acta Oceanographica Taiwanica Science Reports of the National Taiwan University 16, 36–45.
Wang, Wen-zhi, Huang, Qi-zhou, Fu, Sun-cheng, Li, Y.S. and Chau, K.W. (1993) “Calculation for currents in deep area in South China Sea”, Tropic Oceanology (in press) (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Wyrtki, K. (1961) “Scientific results of marine investigation of the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand”, Naga Report 2, 195.
Xu, Xi-zhen, Qiu, Zhang, and Chen, Hui-chang (1982) “The general descriptions of the horizontal circulation in the South China Sea”, in Proceedings of the Conference of the Chinese Oceanology and Limnology Society and Hydrology and Meteorology Society (1980), Science Press, Beijing, pp. 127–145 (in Chinese).
Yu, Ke-jun and Fang, Guo-hong (1990) “Three-dimensional numerical simulation of storm surge and current generated by Typhoon 8309 (Ellen, 1983)”, Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 21(5), 433–441 (in Chinese).
Yuan, Yao-chu, Su, Ji-lan, and Zhou, Wei-dong (1988) “Calculation of the Kuroshio current south of Japan in May-June 1986”, Prog. Oceanog. 21, 503–514.
Zeng, Qing-cun, Li, Rong-feng, and Ji, Zhong-zhen, Gan, Zi-jun, and Ke, Pei-hui (1989) “Calculation of monthly mean currents of the South China Sea”, Chinese J. of Atmospheric Sciences 13(2), 127–138.
Zhang, Yi-ken, Weng, Xue-chuan, Zhang, Qi-long, and Wang Cong-min (1991) “Bottom current in Taiwan Strait”, Oceanologia et Lunnologia Sinica 22(2), 124–131 (in Chinese).
Zhang, Meng-you (1992) “Three-dimensional numerical simulation for the winter circulation in the South China Sea”, (Thesis for master degree in South China Sea Institute of Oceanology) (in Chinese, with English abstract).
Zhao, Bao-ren, Fang, Guo-hong (1991) “The estimate of transport of the main water route in the East China Sea”, Acta Oceanologia Sinica 13(2), 169–178.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Qi-zhou, H., Wen-zhi, W., Li, Y.S., Li, C.W. (1994). Current Characteristics Of The South China Sea. In: Di, Z., Yuan-Bo, L., Cheng-Kui, Z. (eds) Oceanology of China Seas. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0862-1_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0862-1_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-2616-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0862-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive