The water masses in the Taiwan Strait (TS) contain the Kuroshio Branch Water (KBW), the South China Sea Surface Water (SCSSW), and the China Coastal Water (CCW). The seasonality of their temporal and spatial variations is modified by the East Asia monsoon and the bottom topography. Hydrographic data acquired during 1985-2003 were studied using a cluster analysis for the classification of the water masses. In addition to the three water masses identified previously, the cluster analysis further classified the Subsurface Water (SBW) under 100 m depth in the Penghu Channel (PHC) and the Coastal Water (CW) along the China coast in summer. Results derived from the cluster analysis together with the T-S diagram suggest that the KBW and SBW dominates in the PHC, whereas CCW occupies in the north TS from January to April. After May, the SCSSW replaces the KBW in the TS through PHC. Meanwhile, the CW distributes along the northwest bank of the TS. After the onset of northeast monsoon in October, the CCW intrudes southward to the northern TS, yet the KBW is confined in the PHC. A zonal oceanic front is clearly seen between the two water masses over the Chang-Yuen Rise in winter. As for the NTMW, it presents below 30 m depth during May and September, and would distribute in depths 0-100 m in other months.
The monthly hydrographic databank established in this study has a horizontal grid resolution of 10'x10'. The vertical levels are set at depths 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 125, 150, and 200 m. The study also concludes that there is hardly a northward flow in the TS in winter connecting the South China Sea Warm Current to the so-called Taiwan Warm Current.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0723104-201733 |
| Date | 23 July 2004 |
| Creators | Kuo, Hui-ming |
| Contributors | David D. Sheu, Sen Jan, Y.-J. Yang, Chao-rueng Wu |
| Publisher | NSYSU |
| Source Sets | NSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive |
| Language | Cholon |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0723104-201733 |
| Rights | unrestricted, Copyright information available at source archive |
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