The barrier layer in the southern region of the South China Sea

By analysing the CTD data in the southernregion of the South China Sea gathered during six cruisesbetween 1989 and 1999, a barrier layer with seasonalvariation just like what exists in the equatorial oceans isfound in this region. It is the first discovery in such amarginal sea yet. It is strong in autumn and a little weak in summer and winter. The thicker the barrier layer, the higher the average temperature of the upper mixed layer. The region with the thicker barrier layer overlaps the region with thehigher average temperature of the upper mixed layer, andaccords with the thicker region of the warm pool in the South China Sea got from the Levitus data. The barrier layer in the southern region of the South China Sea has significantinfluence on the heat storage of the upper ocean there.