A Numerical Experiment on the Dispersion of the Changjiang River Plume

With a realistic geography and topography the Princeton Ocean Model is used to study the effects of topography, wind and time-varying Chanajiang (Yangtze) River discharge on the dispersion of the Chanaiiang River plume in the Yellow and East China Seas. The topographic feature of deepening offshore suppresses the offshore expansion of the discharged low salinity water while spreading along the coast is not hindered. Also the spreading of the Chanajiang River plume is very sensitive to wind conditions and the southerly wind is most responsible for the eastward expansion toward the Cheju Island. It is also shown that the influence of the Chanajiang River Diluted Water on the hydrography and circulation of the Yellow Sea including the South Sea of Korea is substantial even in the absence of tide, wind and current.