Temporal and Spatial Variability Analysis of Chlorophyll a in Chinese Shelf Sea from 2002 to 2005 Using Remote Sensing

摘要

Chlorophyll can be used for evaluating the role of ocean in global carbon dioxide circulation and in other biochemistry circulation. Ocean color remote sensing can be used for long-term ecosystem observations and for investigations of key processes. Chinese Shelf Sea is a highly productive sea. However, relatively few studies have been undertaken. To clarify the interannual variability of chlorophyll a of Chinese Shelf Sea and to describe the spatial variability, on basis of chlorophyll a concentration retrieved from MODIS from 2002 to 2005, variability of chlorophyll a was analyzed. Chlorophyll a concentrations in different area fluctuate periodically among different years. They vary with seasons in one year. In different parts chlorophyll exhibited different distribution pattern. The annual average chlorophyll a in south Yellow Sea is the highest, while that in South China Sea is the lowest. In south Yellow Sea there is one peak period of chlorophyll in about March; In East Sea two peak chlorophyll phase appear in about February and in about July respectively. In South China Sea one high chlorophyll phase generally occurs in winter. The differences in these areas reflect different conditions of sea surface temperature, nutriment, salinity, wind, wave, current, etc. They reveal the ocean physical feature of Chinese shelf sea. Retrieved chlorophyll a concentration distribution is also consistent with the previous result obtained by field survey and model simulation. Specifically, we show the potential of MODIS for monitoring large-scale phytoplankton in oceans.