South China Sea isopycnal-surface circulation

This paper investigates the seasonal variabilities of the South China Sea i sopycnal-surface circulations and of the Kuroshio intrusion through the Luz on Strait using the U.S. Navy's climatological temperature and salinity dat aset (public domain) with 1/2 degrees x 1/2 degrees resolution by the P-vec tor method. The representative pattern is a persistent basin-scale cyclonic circulation away from the surface, and a seasonally varying circulation wi th a weak anti-cylonic gyre in the summer and a strong cyclonic gyre in the winter near the surface. This pattern is consistent with a classical view of mean cyclonic circulation in large stratified lakes and semienclosed mar ginal seas by Emery and Csanady and with a recent numerical simulation usin g the navy's Layered Ocean Model by Metzger and Hurlburt. The computed mont hly volume transport through the Luzon Strait is negative (inflow) all year round with a minimum value of -13.7 Sv in February (strongest intrusion) a nd a maximum value of -1.4 Sv in September (weakest intrusion). The annual mean transport is -6.5 Sv (intrusion).