Interannual variability of sea surface height anomaly in the South China Sea

Abstract

Spatial variability of Sea Surface Height Anomaly (herein after SSHA) in the South China Sea was investigated through the response of sea surface to interannual phenomenon. In this research, satellite altimetry data were used which covered periods from 1992 to 2015. Signal analysis was performed to separate dominant spectrum for each stations. From the analysis, it is found that the dominant feature for South China Sea is high period signal i.e annual and decadal signals. This research will focus the analysis only on interannual variability response of SSHA. During northeast monsoon, SSHA in South China Sea region is increased due to the accumulation of water mass over southern basin. Highest increase of SSHA occurs during strong La Niña, while the highest decrease of SSHA takes place during El Niño. The distribution of change in SSHA varies with strong influence of latitude and longitude to the response of upper layer. During El Niño, increasing SSHA was detected in several locations; likewise, during La Niña the decrease was also found.