Different Generating Mechanisms for the Summer Surface Cold Patches in the Yellow Sea

It has been frequently observed that there are surface cold patches (SCPs) in the Yellow Sea in summer. Although previous studies based on monthly mean temperature distribution found that these SCPs are a result of tidal mixing and tide-induced upwelling, tidal mixing and upwelling alone cannot explain all the occurrences. In our study we found that the three typical patches, namely, the Shandong SCP, the Subei SCP, and the Mokpo SCP, have different temporal patterns over a spring-neap tidal cycle; hence, they have different generating mechanisms. Based on a multiple-year simulation, the latter two show conspicuous spring-neap variations. The highest temperature occurs during the neap tide phase (about two days after a quarter moon). Because of weak upwelling and mixing, strong stratification is established and the SCPs are suppressed or even disappear. The opposite holds for the spring tide phase (about two days after a new or full moon). This is quite different from the Shandong SCP, which does not display a distinct difference between spring and neap tides. Buoy observations and composite analyses with data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) further support this conclusion.