Interim estimate of the variability of surface water circulation in the South
China Sea for the winter season
Galina A. Vlasova 1, Bui Hong Long 2 and Nguyen Ba Xuan 2
1 V.I.Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 43 Baltiyaskya
Street, Vladivostok, 690041, Russia. E-mail: gavlasova@mail.ru;
2 Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Cau Da 01, Vinh Nguyen, Nha Trang,
Vietnam. E-mail: haiduong@vnn.vn; ba_xuan04@yahoo.com
On base the hydrodynamic modelling for the 50-years period and the global data of 2008 the
preliminary calculations of surface water circulation under the influence of the synoptic
processes in the South China Sea have been carried out for the winter season. The average longterm and intraannual maps of the surface currents of the given region were received. The
preliminary analysis of the received maps of the currents was carried out. Correlation of the
seasonal variability of the average long-term and intraannual (2008) cyclonic and anticyclonic
structures was analyzed. A preliminary analysis of the received maps of the surface currents
reveals the average long-term and intraannual quasi-stationary and regional laws of the surface
water circulation in the South China Sea during the winter period.