Geostrophic Response of the Yellow Sea to Cyclone Passage

A barotropic non-linear numerical model is used to study the response of the Yellow Sea to winter cyclone passage. Cyclones normally come from the outside of the western boundary, China, and pass the region eastward. The cyclone parameters used for the present study are the following: the intensity, i.e., the maximum wind speed of the cyclone; the effective radius corresponding to this maximum; and the translation speed. The equations of motion are integrated over the depth which is supposed to be a constant. The Gaussian function is used to define the stream function of the wind. The following results have been found. A northward current is generated by the frontal part of the cyclone near the western boundary. After the cyclone leaves the sea area, a southward current is generated by the rear part of the cyclone. After that, a northward current is generated once again due to the westward propagating Rossby waves. The response of the sea to the cyclone passage is strongly influenced by a steady current when the steady current and the current due to the cyclone wind are of the same order. The steady current diminishes the sea response and reduces the speed of the southward current, and enhances the northward current speed. The intensity and the translation speed of a cyclone also influence the flow pattern significantly.