The features and mechanisms of the North Shandong Coastal Current: a case study in 2014

The North Shandong Coastal Current (NSCC) is an important transporting route for sediment, drifting algae, and spilled oil from the Bohai Sea to Yellow Sea. This study investigated features formation mechanism of NSCC using observational data current velocity a numerical coastal ocean model. Our results confirmed existence in sense climatological winter when northerly wind prevails magnitude monthly time scale ranged 0.07–0.12 m/s direction was parallel coastline. detided residual on pathway unstable, but variable with local speed. well correlated speed tended be coastline increase Strong plays key roles eastward mean flow winter. We found that strong can generate stronger southern side northern Sea, smaller westward return during relaxation period. asymmetry wind-related after events accounts NSCC. A momentum analysis performed model events. barotropic pressure gradient dominant driving force both event.