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- Title
The Critical Role of Thermal Stratification Associated With the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass in Modulating Winter Sea Surface Temperature.
- Authors
Liu, Xingchuan; Yu, Fei; Chen, Zifei; Si, Guangcheng; Nan, Feng; Wang, Jianfeng; Ren, Qiang; Hu, Yibo
- Abstract
The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM), a seasonal bottom‐layer water mass in the Yellow Sea (YS) most prominent in summer, has always been overlooked in previous studies investigating variations in the winter Sea Surface Temperature. Here, using observations and high‐resolution numerical modeling, we reveal for the first time the significant contribution of thermal stratification associated with the YSCWM to the sea surface cooling and the formation of the westward‐shifted Yellow Sea Warm Water Tongue (YSWT) in early winter. Heat budget analyses indicated that the impact of the YSCWM to surface cooling manifests in two aspects. First, the upward mixing of bottom cold water from the remnant YSCWM triggers cooling in the mixed layer. Second, the shallower local mixed layer above the YSCWM facilitates more pronounced cooling processes compared to the YSWT region under similar heat flux. The formation of the westward‐shifted YSWT is the result of intensified surface cooling in both the coastal shallow waters and the YSCWM region in the central YS. During the formation process of the YSWT, its main axis aligns with the western boundary of the YSCWM. As the YSCWM dissipates, the YSWT shows an eastward apparent displacement and eventually stabilizes near approximately 123°E. This study enriches our understanding of the transition from stratification to vertical homogeneity in the water temperature structure of the YS during early winter. Plain Language Summary: The Yellow Sea (YS), a shallow marginal sea in the northwestern Pacific, experiences significant seasonal variations in water temperature. During summer, the YS has layers of different temperatures with a colder water mass deep down. During winter, the water temperature becomes vertically uniform, and a tongue‐shaped warm water extends toward the northwest. Earlier studies of winter temperature changes in the YS often did not consider the effect of the cold water mass. Our research, using both observations and numerical models, shows that this cold water mass plays an important role in how the surface temperature changes in winter and proposes a novel mechanism for the formation of the winter warm water tongue. The thermal stratification associated with the bottom cold water mass contributes to stronger sea surface cooling through two processes: the upward mixing of cold deep‐water and the shallowing of the mixed layer. Additionally, the stronger cooling in both the deep waters and the coastal shallow waters result in the formation of the warm water tongue between these two regions. Understanding these changes is important for studying the YS's climate and its impact on marine life. Key Points: The Yellow Sea (YS) Cold Water Mass significantly contributes to the winter sea surface cooling in the YSThe effects of the YS Cold Water Mass are manifested in upward mixing of bottom cold water and shallowing of the mixed layerThe YS Warm Water Tongue forms under stronger cooling in the nearshore waters and the region of the YS Cold Water Mass
- Subjects
WATER masses; SEAWATER; SEASONAL temperature variations; COOLING of water; TERRITORIAL waters; WINTER; OCEAN temperature
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 2024, Vol 129, Issue 2, p1
- ISSN
2169-9275
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023JC020373