On the Annual Cycle Characteristics of the Sea Surface Height in South China Sea

The annual cycle characteristics of the SSH in the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed based on the Sea Surface Height (SSH) anomaly data from the TOPEX / POSEIDON-ERS altimeter data and the Parallel Ocean Climate Model (POCM) prediction. The results show that the distributions of the SSH anomalies of the SCS in January, March and May, are opposite to those in July, September and November respectively; In January (July) there is the SSH negative (positive) anomaly in the deep water basin and at the Luzon Strait, while there is positive (negative) anomaly on the most of continental shelves in the west and south of South China Sea; In March (September) the SSH anomalies are similar to those in January (July), although their magnitudes have decreased and a small positive (negative) anomaly appears in the center of the South China Sea; The amplitude of the SSH annual cycle reaches its maximum in the Northwest of the Luzon Island; The seasonal variability of the wind stress is dominant in the formation of the SSH seasonal variability.