Drivers of Marine Heatwaves in the East China Sea and the South Yellow Sea in Three Consecutive Summers During 2016–2018

Abstract

In 3 consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, extreme ocean warming events, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), occurred during boreal summers in the East China Sea (ECS) and South Yellow Sea (SYS), which is unprecedented in the past four decades based on the satellite record. In this study, we used a high‐resolution hydrodynamic model based on Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) to simulate the evolution of these warming events. An upper ocean temperature budget (0–20 m) analysis based on the model results shows that the shortwave radiation and the ocean advection anomalies jointly contributed to the anomalous warming in the three successive summers (June–August) in the SYS and the north part of the ECS. In addition, the reduction of surface wind speeds during the 2016 and 2017 summers further weakened the vertical mixing, thereby enhancing the anomalous warming in the north part of the ECS adjacent to the SYS. During the three summers, the increases of shortwave radiation were closely related to the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) variability, which reduced the cloud cover in the ECS and SYS, whereas the advection anomalies were mostly associated with regional wind anomalies. In summer 2018, upper ocean heat was transported into the central trough of the SYS, accumulated in an anticyclonic eddy generated by the anomalous wind stress curls. Therefore, despite the primary driver of the MHWs is the EASM variation, regional processes are critical to driving the spatial pattern of the MHW intensity in the ECS and SYS.

Characteristics of Marine Heatwaves in the Japan/East Sea

“…In recent years, MHWs have been observed around the world from open oceans to marginal seas and coastal regions, including the Pacific Ocean [7,8], Atlantic Ocean [9,10], Indian Ocean [11,12], Mediterranean Sea [2,3,13], Bering Sea [14], China Seas [15][16][17][18], Tasman Sea [19][20][21], the west coast of the United States [22], and the southwestern Atlantic shelf [23]. These events have had severe impacts on marine ecosystems and human society, such as increasing fish mortality and bleaching coral [4,[24][25][26][27].…”

Prediction of Sea Surface Temperature in the East China Sea Based on LSTM Neural Network

“…The change of SST is extremely complex. Moreover, the ECS is also one of the most important areas for marine heat wave disasters [13]. The prediction of SST is of great significance to the local hydrology and ecological environment.…”

“…One is to use ocean numerical models. For example, Gao et al [13] used the Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) to study marine heatwaves in the East China Sea and the South Yellow Sea. Tiwari et al [14] used the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to study the sea surface temperature of the Indian Ocean.…”

Classifications and Characteristics of Marine Heatwaves in the Northern South China Sea

“…Marine heatwave (MHW) is defined as an anomalously warm, discrete, and prolonged event, which has drawn great attention due to its extraordinary influences on ecosystem structure and functioning (Wernberg et al, 2013;Hobday et al, 2016;Gao et al, 2020). Many MHW events have been recorded, and they mainly occur off the coast (Garrabou et al, 2009;Feng et al, 2013;Mills et al, 2013;Bond et al, 2015;Oliver et al, 2017;Schlegel et al, 2017;Benthuysen et al, 2018;Tan and Cai, 2018;Gao et al, 2020). As a consequence of climate change, the frequency and intensity of MHWs in the world oceans are increasing (Hobday et al, 2018).…”