Satellite-Derived Chlorophyll-A Concentration In The Taiwan Strait

A series of the Orbview-2/SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) images during the period from 1997 to 2003 is used to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of the chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in the Taiwan Strait (TS). It is found that the area with higher Chl-a is mainly along the western TS; it extends more offshore in cold seasons. The lowest Chl-a is always inside the deep Peng-Hu Channel, it can spread further northward in summer. From mode I results of the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis, we find the Chl-a in La Nifta years (during the period from June 1998 to May 2001) showing greater variation than the other El Nino or normal years. The EOF I results also indicate the highest Chl-a always in fall. Meanwhile, the peak in the 1997/1998 El Nino fall was the lowest maximum, while the lowest Chl-a is mainly in winter, but its interannual variation is not so clear.