title: Free and Forced Rossby Waves in the Western South China Sea Inferred from Jason-1 Satellite Altimetry Data.
abstract: Data from a subsurface mooring deployed in the western South China Sea shows clear intra-seasonal oscillations (ISO) at the period of 40~70 days. Analysis of remotelysensed sea surface height (SSH) anomalies in the same area indicates that these ISO signals propagate both eastward and westward. Time-longitude diagrams of ISO signals in SSH anomalies and wind-stress curl indicate that the eastward propagating SSH anomalies is forced by wind-stress curl. This is also confirmed by lag correlation between SSH anomalies and the wind-stress-curl index (wind stress curl averaged over 109.5ºE -115ºE and 12ºN -13.5ºN). Lag correlation of SSH anomaly suggests that the westward propagating signals are free Rossby waves.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China. wuxy@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China. gordonxie@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China. zghe@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China. dxwang@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Dongxiao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Rossby wave; South China Sea; intra-seasonal signal; sea surface height