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<p>Sea level change (SLC) in the South China Sea (SCS) is primarily driven by variations in ocean density, which are influenced by temperature and salinity. These density-driven effects, known as thermosteric and halosteric sea level anomalies (TSLA and HSLA), together contribute to steric sea level anomaly (SSLA). Previous studies have shown the significant role of TSLA. However, based on multi-source data, our analysis reveals that salinity plays a substantial role. We find that salinity changes in the upper ocean of the SCS exhibit a pronounced decadal variation, and the HSLA accounts for 55% of SSLA variations, and 48% of total decadal SLC, surpassing the contributions of TSLA with 45% and 40%, respectively. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is an important factor in driving these salinity changes in the SCS, as it influences precipitation over the SCS and high-salinity water intrusion from Luzon Strait. The HSLA, hence, uniformly changes across the basin, with salinity changes in the upper 50&#xa0;m contributing 70%. While, TSLA changes primarily arise from temperature variation in the 50–200&#xa0;m layer within strip-like zones located west of Luzon Island. TSLA dominates SSLA changes in this region, whereas HSLA plays a dominant role in the southern and shallow areas of the SCS. These combined effects of the HSLA and TSLA shape the decadal SLC in the SCS. This study highlights the potential role of salinity in the complex regional SLC, providing valuable insights for future studies.</p>

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Decadal sea level change in the South China Sea: salinity as a key contributor

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月13日

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  • Yuhang Zheng,
  • Yuhong Zhang,
  • Qin Duan,
  • Lianyi Zhang,
  • Wei Zhuang,
  • Yunchen Liu,
  • Yan Du

摘要

Sea level change (SLC) in the South China Sea (SCS) is primarily driven by variations in ocean density, which are influenced by temperature and salinity. These density-driven effects, known as thermosteric and halosteric sea level anomalies (TSLA and HSLA), together contribute to steric sea level anomaly (SSLA). Previous studies have shown the significant role of TSLA. However, based on multi-source data, our analysis reveals that salinity plays a substantial role. We find that salinity changes in the upper ocean of the SCS exhibit a pronounced decadal variation, and the HSLA accounts for 55% of SSLA variations, and 48% of total decadal SLC, surpassing the contributions of TSLA with 45% and 40%, respectively. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is an important factor in driving these salinity changes in the SCS, as it influences precipitation over the SCS and high-salinity water intrusion from Luzon Strait. The HSLA, hence, uniformly changes across the basin, with salinity changes in the upper 50 m contributing 70%. While, TSLA changes primarily arise from temperature variation in the 50–200 m layer within strip-like zones located west of Luzon Island. TSLA dominates SSLA changes in this region, whereas HSLA plays a dominant role in the southern and shallow areas of the SCS. These combined effects of the HSLA and TSLA shape the decadal SLC in the SCS. This study highlights the potential role of salinity in the complex regional SLC, providing valuable insights for future studies.