Spatial-temporal variation of winter phytoplankton blooms in the northwest of Luzon Island

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-909X.2018.01.008

Abstract

Abstract: The phenomenon of phytoplankton blooms in the northwest of Luzon Island is frequently observed in winter. In our study, using the multi-satellite merged ocean color remote sensing data from November 1999 to February 2015 in the northwestern region of Luzon Island, the spatial and temporal changes of Chl-a concentration in long time series were investigated by means of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition method and multiple correlation analysis(MCA). Combined with physical environmental parameters such as wind speed(WS), sea surface temperature(SST) and sea level anomalies(SLA), the relationship between Chl-a and surrounding sea environments was then investigated in the study. The results show that centers of winter Chl-a blooms in northwest of Luzon Island appear often at the location of about (19°N, 119°E). Significant multiple correlation coefficient (R=0.782 6, P<0.05) from the multiple correlation analysis between Chl-a and oceanic conditions indicates that the wind parallel to the coastline and the wind stress curls enhance winter upwelling in the study area, increasing the input of the nutrients into the upper layer, which is probably the main mechanism of the formation of phytoplankton blooms in the area. At the same time, the advection effect of the background flow field is likely to induce the upwelling area to be inconsistent with the center of phytoplankton blooms, triggering the phenomenon that the centers of phytoplankton blooms shifted northward along with the water body in the area.

Key words: Luzon Island, winter phytoplankton blooms, upwelling, EOF analysis, chlorophyll

CLC Number:

P734

GAO Hui, ZHAO Hui, SHEN Chun-yan, CHEN Fa-jin. Spatial-temporal variation of winter phytoplankton blooms in the northwest of Luzon Island[J]. Journal of Marine Sciences, 2018, 36(1): 75-85.

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