Frontier Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System (FDOMES) and Physical Oceanography Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Ocean Observation and Information of Hainan Province/Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Qingdao/Sanya, China.
Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China.
Nat Commun. 2023 Apr 10;14(1):2013. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37767-4.
Cold and dense water from the North Pacific Ocean that spills through the Luzon Strait, the only deep conduit between the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific Ocean, renews deep-water mass, modulates hydrographic and biogeochemical cycles, and drives abyssal and overturning circulations in the SCS. The variability of this key oceanic process, however, has been poorly studied, mainly due to a lack of sustained observations. A comprehensive observational program that started in 2009 has provided 12 years of continuous time series of velocity and volume transport within the Luzon Strait. Here we show the observation-based assessment of decadal trends of deep-water transport through this vital passage. With the estimated 12-year mean volume transport of the deep-water overflow into the SCS of 0.84 ± 0.39 Sv (1 Sv = 10 m s), a significant linear upward trend of 9% is revealed during this period. This is consistent with long-term changes in satellite-observed ocean bottom pressure. The results of this study may have broad implications for the overturning circulations and biogeochemical processes, including carbon cycles in this region.
北太平洋寒冷而密集的海水通过吕宋海峡溢出，吕宋海峡是南海（SCS）和太平洋之间唯一的深海通道，它更新了深水质量，调节了水文和生物地球化学循环，并驱动了 SCS 的深海和翻转循环。然而，这一关键海洋过程的可变性研究甚少，主要是因为缺乏持续的观测。一个始于 2009 年的综合观测计划提供了 12 年的吕宋海峡内速度和体积输送的连续时间序列。在这里，我们根据观测结果评估了通过这条重要通道的深层水输送的十年趋势。根据这一关键通道进入南海的深层水的 12 年平均体积输送量为 0.84±0.39Sv（1Sv=10m/s），在此期间，这一输送量呈显著的 9%线性上升趋势。这与卫星观测到的海洋底部压力的长期变化是一致的。这项研究的结果可能对该地区的翻转循环和生物地球化学过程，包括碳循环，具有广泛的影响。
