Relative contributions of temperature and salinity to steric sea level over the South China Sea

The relative contributions of surface temperature and salinity to steric sea-level variations are investigated using satellite observations and reanalysis datasets. By defining a contribution factor, the relative roles of thermal and haline steric height variations are quantified over the South China Sea (SCS). The thermosteric height dominates the steric sea level variation in the northern SCS deep basin, while the contribution of the halosteric height increases southward. Further investigation reveals that this transition is related to the meridional imbalance of surface heat flux and precipitation variations. The revealed steric constitution distribution is not confined to the surface but extends within the upper layer to approximately 50m depth, and then the thermosteric component dominates from the depth underneath. The results of this study clarify the steric sea level constitution over the SCS, benefit the understanding of sea-level variations at the regional scale, and may further facilitate multisensor remote sensing data mining studies.