A numerical study of the summer circulation in the southwestern Yellow Sea

The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is used to study the summer circulation in the southwestern Yellow Sea (SWYS). The modeled currents show good agreement with observations from both drifters and moorings. While the summer current in the SWYS flows consistently northeastward on the surface with large magnitude offshore, the current below the surface layer features a cyclonic circulation roughly along the 25 m isobath. The effect of a surface wind stress and bottom thermal fronts on the circulation is investigated through a series of process-oriented numerical experiments. It is found that the southeasterly wind dominates the surface current, whereas the bottom thermal fronts, which are formed in a transition area between the vertically well-mixed region and the stratified region, are responsible for the cyclonic circulation below the surface.