%0 Journal Article
%T Intermonsoon Variation of Physical Characteristics and Current Circulation along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia
%A Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir
%A Nur Zurairah Zakaria
%A Fredolin Tangang
%J International Journal of Oceanography
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/527587
%X Data from eight cruises spanning from 2002 to 2007 are used to investigate the seasonal changes in water characteristics and current circulation in southern South China Sea along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The surveys were made during two intermonsoon periods which are during March/April and September/October. In addition, monthly sea surface temperature from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is used to provide wider coverage of spatial and temporal for seasonality study. Overall, the area shares different physical properties between the two seasons. During September/October temperature is lower and salinity is higher compared to the data during Mac/April/May. The current along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia also shows seasonality, with dominant current flow southward during Mac/April and northward during September/October. 1. Introduction The southern South China Sea (SSCS) is a tropical marginal sea with a complex geographical setting in Southeast Asia. It is located between the western Pacific and the eastern Indian Ocean. The SSCS connects with the Sulu Sea in the northeast through the Mindoro and Balabac Straits, with the Java Sea in the south through the Karimata Straits, and with the Andaman Sea in the west through the Malacca Strait. It is basically a shallow continental basin with the average depth of 60£żm. The climate over SSCS is controlled by South China Sea (SCS) monsoon [1]. Weaker southwesterly summer monsoon winds occur from April to August which drives a northward coastal jet off Vietnam. Meanwhile, stronger northeasterly winter monsoon winds occur from November to March causing a southward coastal jet in the SCS [2]. According to Akhir and Chuen [3], during northeast monsoon current moves southward along Peninsular Malaysia and moves in the opposite direction during southwest monsoon. In general, the pattern of sea surface circulation is different according to monsoon seasons. During southwest monsoon, the main surface current moves from the Indonesian Seas (Karimata and Malacca Straits) to the north (South China Sea). On the opposite, the sea surface circulation comes from the north to the south through the small islands during the northeast monsoon [4]. There have been only a few references related to the observational study of SSCS circulation and physical characteristics especially around Malaysian waters. The most intensive hydrographic observation which involves Malaysian waters has been carried out by SEAFDEC (South East Asian Fisheries Development Centre) in September 1995 and April-May
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijocean/2014/527587/