The main rivers from the South China Sea arePearl River、Red River、MekongandMeinan RiverEtc.The main bays areBeibu Gulf、Gulf of ThailandEtc.The terrain looks like a diamond, and deepens from the four sides in a ladder shape to the middle.The South China Sea is the junction of the Eurasian plate, the Pacific plate and the Indian Ocean plate. It is a favorable place for the formation of oil and gas. The northern coastal waters are important spawning grounds and feeding grounds for traditional commercial fish.[114]In the Han Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties of China, it was called the rising sea and boiling sea.In the Qing Dynasty, it was gradually renamed the South China Sea.ChineseSouth China Sea IslandsincludeDongsha Islands、Xisha Islands、Zhongsha IslandsandNansha Islands，[5]China is the first country to discover and name the South China Sea islands, the first country to continuously develop and utilize the South China Sea islands and related waters, and the first country to start and continue to manage the South China Sea islands.[113]
The South China Sea is rich in marine oil and gas mineral resources, coastal and island tourism resources, marine energy resources, port and shipping resources, and tropical and subtropical biological resources. It is the most important island andCoral reef、mangrove、Seagrass bedAnd other tropical ecosystems.Since the 1970s,Vietnam?、the PhilippinesAnd other countries have successively occupiedNansha IslandsSome islands and reefs, causingSouth China Sea dispute。[5][109]
Chinese name
South China Sea
Foreign name
South China Sea (geographical waters) The South Sea of China or China'South Sea
The South China Sea ocean basin began to grow about 32 million years ago, but the earliest age of the eastern and western ocean basins is diachronic, which is early in the east and late in the west as a whole.The expansion stopped about 16 million years ago, and the South China Sea matured 16 million years ago, and then began to decline.The South China Sea began to subduct towards the Philippines about 10 to 18 million years ago, and now the South China Sea has entered "middle age".
The evolution process of the South China Sea (the figure in the upper right corner of the picture is millions of years, according to Robert Hall, 1995)
The birth of the South China Sea is a stage of transformation from subduction orogeny to continental rift.About 65 million years ago, the South China Sea was born in the coastal mountains formed by the subduction system. Later, the subduction system began to disintegrate, and the mountains became canyons.according toWang PinxianThe study found that if a profile was drawn from the coast of South China to the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, 65 million years ago, the terrain was still high in the east and low in the west, and the river flowed to the west;Later, with the uplift of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the gradual subsidence of South China, it became today's "spring water flowing eastward".[125]
The "childhood" stage of the South China Sea began with the rift valley, which is similar to the current state of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Later, seawater gradually diffused into the South China Sea, forming a narrow and shallow bay, like the Red Sea or the Gulf of California.At this stage, underground magma, volcano and seismic activity are relatively active.The continental margin was thinned and partially cracked, and the oceanic crust began to appear, then the oceanic crust continued to expand, and finally grew into an oceanic crust area with a width of at least 700 kilometers.
After the expansion of the South China Sea 16 million years ago, the South China Sea entered its prime period, during which the area of the South China Sea was the largest.The South China Sea began to subduct eastward along the Manila Trench and turn.According to research, the South China Sea has subducted an ocean crust 400 kilometers long and more than 700 kilometers wide. The length of the ocean basin subducted is 1/3 of the total east-west length, and the subduction area has reached 1/2 of the total area.[123-124]With the subduction of the main oceanic crust, the South China Sea will enter the collision orogenic stage.At present, the Philippines underthrusts into the South China Sea at a rate of 5 to 8 li per year. In another 20 million years, the oceanic crust of the South China Sea will disappear. Dongsha, Nansha and Zhongxisha will successively hit the Philippines, and the terrain will become higher and higher. The Wangyang South China Sea will become a green mountain.[122]
Regional location
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Location context
The South China Sea is located in the low latitude area south of 23 ° 37 'north latitude, reaching norththe Tropic of Cancer, entering from the south across the equatorsouthern hemisphereThe South China Sea spans 26 ° 47 'from north to south.[69]
The South China Sea (sovereign name) is a sea area within the U-shaped nine segment line (national boundary), including the West, South and Zhongsha Islands under the jurisdiction of Sansha City, Hainan Province, between 03 ° 35 ′ and 17 ° 08 ′ N[69]。[116]
Map of the South China Sea
Map of the South China Sea
geographical environment
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geology
South China Sea topography
The center of the South China Sea is a back arc basin developed by rifting at the end of Mesozoic.The Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands and other islands are residual continental crust fragments. The boreholes on Yongxing Island, Xisha reveal that the 1100 meter thick Cenozoic coral reef limestone directly unconformably covers gneiss, schist and gneissic granite series with Rb Sr isotopic ages of 1.465 billion years and 627 million years.
Two sets of magnetic anomaly bands can be identified in the oceanic crust of the central basin: the near east-west band with the number of 11 to 5 days is 32 to 17 million years, representing the expansion from the Middle and Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene;The nearly east-west seamount chains distributed at 14 ° 30 ′~15 ° 30 ′ N represent the expansion center at that time.In the southwest of the South China Sea, there is still a set of NE trending magnetic anomaly bands numbered 27~32, with a duration of 70~63 million years, which is equivalent to the end of the Cretaceous to the early Paleocene.
In basins such as the Pearl River Mouth in the north of the South China Sea, the lowest stratum of the basin is the piedmont river lake facies deposits of the Upper Cretaceous Eocene, and the upward Liushagang Formation is dark mudstone of deep lake facies, with a thickness of more than 5000 meters.Since Oligocene, there has been sea land interaction, and Neogene system widely unconformably overlaps the old strata, indicating the formation of the unified South China Sea basin.The South China Sea is now shrinking eastward along the Manila Trough, indicating that this ocean basin has passed the peak stage of development.
topographic features
Submarine geomorphology
The South China Sea Basin is a faulted basin. There is a northeast southwest fault zone in the middle of the basin, which extends to the east and west in geological history, formingAbyssal basin。In the process of sea basin expansion, the residual continental fragments becomeSubmarine highlandOr sinkTroughThere are fractures in the process, which become lava highlands of submarine volcanic eruption and accumulation, and the exposed sea surface forms a high sharp stone island.The South China Sea Basin forms a series of submarine landforms with northeast southwest uplifted highlands and deep troughs alternately arranged.[70]
The sequence from the periphery to the center of the seabed iscontinental shelf、Continental slopeCentral sea basin, a slightly concentric three layer annular structure pattern[71], the terrain looks like a diamond[1]。The outermost ring is the continental shelf, including the island margin continental shelf far from the island arc to the continental margin of the basin. The depth of the continental shelf is generally 0-150 meters;The width is different. The northwest and southwest parts are relatively wide and gentle, 300~484 kilometers wide (2 ‰~1.2 ‰ slope) and 230 kilometers wide (3 ‰ slope) respectively. They are accumulation continental shelves rich in oil and gas resources;The continental shelf on the eastern edge of the island is narrow and steep. The continental shelf west of Luzon Island is only 5 to 10 kilometers wide, with a slope of 31.3 ‰,Palawan IslandThe continental shelf to the west is about 46~57 kilometers wide and 3.97 ‰ gradient, which is an erosion accumulation continental shelf.fromcontinental shelfandIsland shelfThe inner ring is a steep continental slope,continental shelfreachContinental slopeThe water depth at the turning point is 150~180 meters,Continental slopeThe water depth ranges from 100 meters to 3500 meters, the slope surface is undulating and rugged, and the vertical slope length is also different;The area is also different in different parts of the sea basin, and the area of the continental slope in the northwest and southeast is higher than that in thecontinental shelfandIsland shelfThe area is larger, but the eastern and northern land slopes are smaller.The deepest part of the submarine center of the South China Sea, namely the central deep sea basin, is the basin bottom of the South China Sea basin, with an average depth of about 4000 meters and the deepest depth of 5559 meters[1]The bottom is flat, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding continental slope[72]。[70][73-74]
The submarine landform of the South China Sea is characterized by shallow sea in the north, west and southcontinental shelf, the outer edge isContinental slopeThere are plateaus, seamounts, canyons, troughs and trenches on the continental slope;The east is narrowIsland shelf, outer edgeoceanic trenchandTrough；The center is a deep-water basin, and the bottom of the basin is a wide plain dotted with isolated seamounts.According to the causes and forms of geomorphology and the spatial distribution of the islands in the South China Sea, the seabed of the South China Sea can be divided into nine geomorphic areas: northern accumulation shelf area, northern fault slope area, western accumulation erosion shelf area, western accumulation erosion shelf area, western fault slope area, southern accumulation shelf area, southern segmentation plateau shelf areaThe eastern erosion accumulation island shelf area and the central abyssal plain area.[70][75]
In the Nansha Islands sea area in the south of the South China Sea, or partly within the traditional border of China, there are 16 basins, including Wan'an, Zengmu Dark Sand, Brunei Sabah, Andutan, Zhenghe, Liletan, and Northwest Palawan, with a total area of 710000 square kilometers, of which the total area within the traditional border of China is about 520000 square kilometers.[76]
There are many channels between the South China Sea and adjacent sea areas, which are necessary for sea water exchange and navigation, among which 8 are more important:
TaiwanSouth andBatan IslandsThe water depth is 2600 meters, and the South China Sea is connected to the eastthe pacific oceanThe most important waterway.
There are many mountains and hills, winding coasts, scattered plains, and large plainsZhujiang deltaandHanjiang Delta, followed byMoyang River、Jianjiang、Nandu RiverSome small plains are developed in the isoestuarine delta and the head of the small bay.[77]
From north to south, there are Phuket Mountains, Luan Mountains, Bintan MountainsKeppel MountainsandTahan MountainsThe coastal zone is mainly plain, with a small part of platform distributed.[77]
sumatra
The terrain is high in the west and low in the east. The east bank is a huge alluvial plain. The area gradually increases from north to south. According to the size of the plain, the east coast is divided into three partssumatraNorthwest corner to Simawei, northeast bank section from Simawei toTanjung Balai, central and southern bank section fromTanjung BalaireachBelidong Islandto the west of.[77]
Kalimantan Island
The terrain is high in the northeast and low in the southwest. The plain is widely distributed, but it covers a large area of tropical rainforest. The delta estuary has serious silt.[77]
With a sea area of more than 500000 square kilometers, there are 40 islands and reefs in total, of which 29 are exposed to the sea, with a total area of about 10 square kilometers, which is the largest group of islands and islets exposed to the water in the South China Sea.It can be divided into two groups:Xuande Islands；Located in the southwest isYongle Islands。[78-79]
Located in the southern waters of the South China Sea, starting from the northXiongnan Reef, south toZengmu Dark Sand, westWan'an Beach, eastSeahorse beachIt is the southernmost group of islands in the South China Sea, with the most beaches and reefs and the most widely scattered islands.The geographical coordinates are 3 ° 35 ′~11 ° 55 ′ north latitude and 109 ° 30 ′~117 ° 50 ′ east longitude;It is 905 kilometers long from east to west, 887 kilometers wide from south to north, and has a sea area of 886000 square kilometers.Nanhua WaterwayIt crosses the islands from 112 ° 35 ′ to 116 ° 30 ′ east longitude, and forms a three-point line through 10 ° 55 ′, 9 ° 55 ′ and 8 ° 40 ′ north latitude, separating the north and middle of the islands.There are 11 islands and 6 sandbars;105 reefs, 34 sands and 21 shoals.[81]
The area of the South China Sea islands under the jurisdiction of China
The main rivers flowing into the South China Sea from the mainland of China are the Pearl River and the Han River. The main rivers flowing into the South China Sea from the Indochina Peninsula are the Red River and the Mekong River.The Indochina Peninsula has a rich river network. Vietnam has a river flowing into the sea every 20 kilometers along the coastline.
The Pearl River is the largest river system in southern China and the third longest river in China. Its annual flow is the second largest river in China, with a total length of 2400 kilometers. It flows into the South China Sea from eight inlets in the Pearl River Delta region.The Pearl River basin covers an area of 442100 square kilometers in China, and about 11000 square kilometers in Vietnam.
Hanjiang is the second largest river in Guangdong Province and the largest river in Chaoshan.From its origin to Dongxi estuary, it has a total length of 470 kilometers, a fall of 920 meters, and a total drainage area of about 30000 square kilometers. It flows southward to Sanheba, Dapu County, Guangdong Province, and then joins Nanyuan Meijiang River. After that, it is called Hanjiang River. The river below Chaozhou branches into the Hanjiang Delta, and flows into the South China Sea in Chenghai County and Shantou City.
The Red River is the largest river in Vietnam and the largest water system in northern Vietnam. Its upstream is called Yuanjiang River. It flows into Vietnam through the estuary, with a total length of 1140 kilometers. The downstream section in Vietnam is 500 kilometers long, with a drainage area of about 87000 square kilometers.
"Mekong" is a homonym of Lao, which means "the mother of happiness".The Mekong River is also called the Chao Phraya River and the Lancang River in China.The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, with a total length of 4668 kilometers. It is the twelfth largest river in the world and the seventh largest river in Asia. It flows into the South China Sea south of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).The Mekong River branches after passing through Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Two branches of the Mekong River enter Vietnam, called the Qianjiang River and the Houjiang River, respectively. The Mekong River is divided into nine tributaries near the estuary and flows into the sea. Therefore, it is also called the "Jiulong River" in Vietnam.[111]
Climatic characteristics
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overview
The South China Sea is located in the tropical and subtropical regions in the south of the Asian continent. Compared with other sea areas, the South China Sea is characterized by a remarkable tropical marine climate, short spring and autumn, long summer, no ice and snow in winter, mild four seasons, humid air and abundant rainfall.Especially in the central and southern sea areas, there is high temperature and humidity all year round, and there is no winter in long summer, with little seasonal change.In the southwestZhongsha IslandsThe annual average temperature is about 26 ℃.The monthly average minimum temperature in Xisha is 22.8 ℃ (January),Nansha Islands25 ℃ (January).The monthly average maximum temperature occurs in May and June in Xisha and April and May in Nansha.The annual temperature range is only 6-8 degrees Celsius, while the annual temperature range at sea is even smaller.The northern coastal areas and islands have great seasonal changes. The annual temperature range is more than 10 ℃. The temperature is high in summer and the rainfall is abundant. The early winter is relatively dry and cold, and the late winter is often cold and rainy.[69][82-83]
The South China Sea is roughly divided into the northeast monsoon period from the middle of October to the middle of March of the next year. At this time, the cold air invades frequently, and the northeast monsoon is strong and stable. In the early stage, the northern coast is dry and cold with sunny days, while in the later stage, there are often low temperatures, cloudy and rainy days, increased foggy days, and poor visibility.From the middle of May to the middle of September is the southwest monsoon period, which is characterized by southwest wind, high temperature, high humidity, thunderstorms and rainstorms along the northern coast, and frequent typhoon impacts.The transition period in spring occurs from mid March to mid May, and the transition period in autumn is generally from mid September to mid October.In these two periods, the wind direction was changeable.May to October is often called the rainy season, and November to April of the next year is called the dry season.[69][82]
Meteorological elements
wind
The daily variation of the South China Sea pressure is regular. The highest pressure occurs at 10:00 and 22:00 local time, and the lowest pressure occurs at 04:00 and 16:00 local time. The daily amplitude is 3-4 mbar.The main airflow in the low altitude of the South China Sea is the northeast monsoon airflow in winter, the southwest monsoon airflow in summer, and the northeast trade wind airflow.[82]
The northeast monsoon flow in the South China Sea is formed by the gradual turning of the air flow blowing to the sea along the edge of the continental Mongolian cold high.Gradually from north to south.It takes 10~15 days for a cycle from enhancement to weakening interruption.During the northeast monsoon period, there are 2-3 monsoon surges and interruptions every month.[82]
The south-west monsoon flow in the South China Sea is a counterclockwise monsoon flow around the Indian low pressure.From April to May, during the months when the southwest monsoon prevails, there are several variation processes with different intensities and periods. The duration of each monsoon tide is different, about 5 to 10 days.[82]
The frequency of gales in the South China Sea is the largest in winter months in the northeast sea area, with the frequency generally above 20%, gradually decreasing southward. There are fewer gales south of 5 degrees north latitude and in the Siam Bay, and the frequency throughout the year is below 10%.The highest frequency of gales occurs in December, which is located in the southwest sea area of Taiwan Province, with a frequency of 66%, gradually decreasing southward, 33% in the central sea area, and less than 6% near the equator.[82]
Monthly average wind speed in the South China Sea (m/s)
sea area
January
July
December
year
average
Northern Sea Area
Ⅰone
ten
six point two
nine point eight
seven point nine
Ⅰtwo
nine point eight
five point seven
ten point five
seven point three
Central sea area
Ⅱ
nine point three
seven point two
nine point one
seven
Southern Sea Area
Ⅲone
nine
six point one
eight point four
six point two
Ⅲtwo
six point nine
five
five point nine
four point eight
Beibu Gulf
north
seven point six
four point one
seven point eight
six point six
south
six point one
six point eight
six point six
five point nine
Siam Bay
north
five point two
five point nine
four point four
four point nine
south
six
five point three
six point three
five point two
Source:[82]
Sea fog and haze
The sea fog in the South China Sea changes significantly, mainly from December to next April, with March as the peak.Sea fog mainly occurs in the coastal areas of Beibu Gulf and Beibu Sea Area.In January and February, there was a relatively foggy center in the Beibu Gulf with a frequency of more than 5%. In March, the center further expanded and increased to 13%. In April, the foggy center moved eastward and the frequency decreased significantly. After May, the foggy area moved northward, and the South China Sea rarely appeared.[82]
Sea fogThe duration of is different in different sea areas. The longest duration in Beibu Gulf is 5 days, and the longest duration in the east of Guangzhou Gulf is 9 days.South China SeaHazeIt mainly occurs in winter and spring, with the northern coast and the Gulf of Siam at the most, and the monthly average maximum frequency is below 4%.[82]
Clouds, precipitation, thunderstorms and squalls
During the northeast monsoon period, from October to March, the average total cloud cover distribution is mainly determined by the topography and the activities of the weather system under the northeast monsoon.April to May is the transitional period of spring.[82]
During the southwest monsoon period, June August is the most typical, and the trend of the northern South China Sea isobar turns to north-south.September is the autumn transition period, and the northern sea area and Beibu Gulf turn to winter.[82]
The South China Sea is located in the tropics and subtropics, and the cloud shape is dominated by low clouds. The northern sea area can be roughly divided into three periods throughout the year.From January to April, it is mainly stratocumulus and cataclastic clouds, followed by leucocumulus and stratiform clouds. Except cataclastic clouds and stratiform clouds whose height is 200~400 meters, the rest of the clouds are more than 600 meters high. The stable cloud layer is sometimes accompanied by light rain or drizzle, and cumulonimbus clouds or thunderstorms are sometimes hidden in the stable cloud layer.[82]
From May to September, it is dominated by cumulus clouds, which are most prevalent in the afternoon along the coast, and are mostly seen at night on the sea. Cumulonimbus clouds have a cloud base height of about 1000 to 1500 meters, and a cloud top height of 12000 to 15000 meters. The cloud layer is extremely unstable, with lightning and turbulence.When affected by typhoon, there are often broken clouds and rain stratiform clouds.From October to December, it is usually a fine weather with high clouds and light clouds.[82]
There is abundant rainfall in the South China Sea. According to records along the coast and islands, the average annual rainfall is between 1200 and 3300 mm, and the number of annual precipitation days generally exceeds 125 days. The average monthly precipitation days in the rainy season is about 20 days, and the 24-hour rainfall intensity can exceed 500 mm.During the northeast monsoon period, the southern sea area and the coastal sea area in the east of Vietnam have the most rainfall, with the precipitation frequency of more than 10%;The west of the Philippines and the leeward sea area of the Siam Bay have the least rainfall, with the rainfall frequency below 5%.During the southwest monsoon period, the rainfall in the western Philippine sea area and the northeast Siam Bay sea area is the largest, with the frequency of more than 20%, and the rainfall frequency in the coastal sea area of eastern Vietnam is less than 10%.The coastal precipitation varies greatly with the degree of exposure to the two monsoons.The precipitation season of Guangzhi and Guangyi along the central coast of Vietnam and Kota Baru along the coast of Malaysia starts in September and continues to January of the next year with the northeast monsoon.The maximum precipitation in Bangkok occurs during the transition period from the northeast monsoon to the southwest monsoon. The monthly average precipitation is 150 mm, while the northeast monsoon period is less than 25 mm.The precipitation in Singapore is more than 165 mm in each month throughout the year, which is slightly higher in the northeast monsoon period.[82]
The precipitation season north of 20 ° N and east of the South China Sea occurs with the southwest monsoon.The maximum precipitation in Hong Kong and Haiphong occurs from May to September. The annual precipitation in Hong Kong is 2200mm, and the annual precipitation in Haiphong is 1780mm, of which more than 75% occurs in these months.The average monthly precipitation in Hong Kong was 397mm in June and only 27mm in December. The coastal defense is similar.It is the first in the south of Vietnam. The rainy season is from May to October.[82]
The stations facing the northeast monsoon have relatively large annual average precipitation, which is 2215mm in broad sense, and 3150mm in Gotabalu.The station facing southwest monsoon has a small average annual precipitation, such as 1295mm in Toudun and 2200mm in Hong Kong.[82]
South China SeathunderstormThere are great seasonal and regional changes.Generally, summer is more than winter, and coastal areas, especially Siam Bay and Beibu Gulf, are more than open sea.squallIt can appear during the northeast monsoon and southwest monsoon.From January to April, it mainly occurs in the southern sea area, and the northwest coast of Kalimantan is often the center.[82]
temperature and humidity
Most of the South China Sea is located in the tropics. In addition to the influence of the ocean, it is hot and humid all year round.[82]
The northern part of the sea area is a subtropical area with obvious seasonal changes in temperature. In the northernmost part of the sea area, the highest monthly average temperature is 27.40 ℃ in August, and the lowest temperature is 16.9 ℃ in January, with an annual amplitude of 10.5 ℃.The annual amplitude along the coast is larger, for example, 12% in Hong Kong. The monthly average maximum temperature is 28 ℃ in July, and the minimum temperature is 16 ℃ in January. The maximum extreme temperature in Hong Kong is 36 ℃, and the minimum is 0 ℃.The average monthly maximum temperature of Haiphong is 28.3 ℃ (July), the minimum is 16.7 ℃ (January and December), the annual amplitude is 11.6 ℃, the extreme maximum temperature is 41.7 ℃, and the extreme minimum temperature is 6.1 ℃.[82]
The annual amplitude of temperature decreases rapidly from north to south, and there is no seasonal change in the south of the sea area. The highest monthly average temperature in the north of the southern sea area is 29.4 ℃ (May), the lowest is 25.2 ℃ (December), and the annual amplitude is 4.2 ℃.The highest monthly average temperature in the south is 28.5 ℃ (May), the lowest is 26.4 ℃ (January), and the annual amplitude is only 2.1 ℃. The highest monthly average temperature in Singapore is 28 ℃ (June), the lowest is 26 ℃ (January), and the annual amplitude is 2 ℃.The average daily maximum temperature in Singapore is above 29 ℃ all year round, the highest is 32 ℃ in May, and the lowest is 30 ℃ in January. The amplitude of extreme temperature in Singapore is not large, the maximum temperature is 36 ℃, and the minimum temperature is 19 ℃.[82]
Siam BayThe seasonal variation of temperature is very small. May is the warmest month, with a monthly average of 28.9 ℃, and the lowest temperature in December is 26.5 ℃, with an annual amplitude of 2.4 ℃.The highest monthly average temperature in Bangkok is 29 ℃ in May, 25 ℃ in December, and the annual amplitude is only 4 ℃.The daily average maximum temperature is above 31 ℃ in the whole year, above 32 ℃ from February to August, 25 ℃ in May and 20 ℃ in December,BangkokThe extreme maximum temperature is 41 ℃, and the minimum temperature is 11 ℃.Beibu GulfThe seasonal variation of temperature is large. The warmest month is 28.8 ℃ in August, the coldest month is 17.5 ℃ in January, the annual amplitude is 11.3 ℃, and the extreme maximum temperature is 35-37 ℃.The coastal area of western Vietnam can reach 40~42 ℃, and the extreme minimum temperature is 2~6 ℃.[82]
Most areas in the South China Sea have relatively high annual relative humidity, with annual average daily maximum of more than 80%,BangkokandHead countThe annual average maximum is more than 90%. Guangzhi andcoast defenceHigher, more than 96%.The seasonal variation in the northern sea area is slightly larger, and rapidly decreases southward,Hong KongThe annual difference is 15%, which is 10% in broad sense,Gotabalu9%,Singapore4%. Generally, the relative humidity in the northern sea area is high in summer and low in winter.But inVietnam?Central andMalaysiaThe east coast is opposite to the northern sea area, with high relative humidity in winter and low relative humidity in summer.[82]
The highest value of relative humidity in the South China Sea mostly occurs in the morning, and the lowest value occurs in the afternoon.Large daily changes, such asHong KongThe average annual difference between 07:00 and 13:00 is 11%,BangkokThe difference is 23%.GotabaluThe difference between 09:00 and 15:00 is 13%,SingaporeThe difference is 7%.[82]
Monthly Temperature Changes in the Northern, Central and Southern Seas of the South China Sea
Station name
January
April
July
December
annual
Recording time
Dongsha Island
twenty point six
twenty-five point four
twenty-eight point eight
twenty-one point eight
twenty-five point three
1963-1975
Yongxing Island
twenty-two point nine
twenty-seven point one
twenty-eight point six
twenty-four
twenty-six point five
1958-1980
Taiping Island
twenty-six point eight
twenty-nine
twenty-seven point nine
twenty-seven
twenty-seven point nine
1964-1975
Source:[82]
weather system
cold air
From mid to late September every yearcold airInvading the South China Sea (early September at the earliest) and ending in late May of the next year (April at the earliest).According to the statistics from 1960 to 1971, there were 48.8 cold air attacks on the South China Sea every year on average, with an average of 6 per month.Among them, November to February of the next year is the most frequent, with a monthly average of about 9 times, accounting for 58% of the total number of attacks throughout the year.[82]
The cold air activity generally shows that the cold high and its front often have a cold front, which has swept the coast of South China and reached the South China Sea.When cold air invades the South China Seacold frontAfter that, not only will strong wind and temperature drop occur, but sometimes fog will appear in front of and between the front, and precipitation will occur behind the front.The regions where strong winds occur vary depending on the southward path of cold air.[82]
typhoon
Schematic diagram of typhoon track in the South China Sea
The South China Sea is the globaltyphoonOne of the main areas of activity.Its activities are characterized by high frequency, high intensity and long duration.According to the data statistics from 1949 to 1981, there are 16.4 typhoons generated in the South China Sea or moved into the South China Sea after being generated in the Northwest Pacific.The maximum annual frequency is 24 times (1970, 1971), and the minimum annual frequency is 8 times (1976).Typhoons are likely to occur every month. The active period is from June to November, and the peak period is from August to September, with an average of 20 to 21 times.The average initial stage date is April 27, and the average final stage date is December 5.[82]
The activity range of tropical cyclones in the South China Sea is relatively concentrated in the 15~21 ° N sea area.The tropical cyclones in this sea area account for about two-thirds of the total number of South China Sea, of which 18-20 ° N is the most.Its intensity is dominated by typhoon.The second is tropical storm, at least tropical depression, accounting for 38%, 34% and 28% respectively.[82]
In the process of typhoon influence, when the wind force in the South China Sea is greater than or equal to a gale of force 6 or above, it is regarded as a "typhoon influence day", and when the wind force is greater than or equal to a gale of force 8 or above, it is regarded as a "typhoon attack day" for statistics.Typhoon affected days, with an average of 57.3 days per year, most of which are in August and September;The average number of typhoon hit days is 37.5 days per year, with September at the most, and 26% of the days can be affected by typhoon.[82]
Western Pacific High
Typhoon in the South China Sea
The Western Pacific High is a large and stable warm weather system in the Pacific subtropical zone, and its intensity increases with the increase of height.The direction, position, advance and retreat and intensity changes of the western ridge of the South China Sea have a great impact on the weather and climate of the South China Sea.[82]
The western pacific high has obvious seasonal variations.The ridge line is the southernmost in winter and the northernmost in summer, moving from south to north from winter to summer, and from north to south from summer to winter.In April, it is generally located near 15 ° north latitude. In May, it began to move slowly northward. In the middle of June, it quickly jumped to 25 ° north latitude. In the middle of July, it jumped to 30 ° north again. After September, the ridge line quickly retreated to the south. From September to April of the next year, the western Pacific high extended westward to the ridge fault. A closed system appeared over the South China Sea or the Sino Indian Peninsula, which is called the South China Sea high.[82]
Tropical convergence zone
In the South China Sea,Tropical convergence zoneIt is a wide area where the northeast monsoon or northeast trade wind meets the southwest monsoon, but it is also a discontinuous airflow convergence area in the length direction.It passes through the equator twice a year, moving between 25 ° north latitude and 100 ° south latitude.The period when the tropical convergence zone moves across the South China Sea is the transitional season between the two monsoons.[82]
hydrographic features
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Water mass
Meiji Reef, South China Sea
South China SeaWater massIt is different from the coastal water masses in the mainland with low salinity and large seasonal variation of water temperature.As the South China Sea is a semi closed deep-sea basin, the submarine terrain is centered on a deep-sea basin with a depth of 4000 meters, and there are circumferential stepped continental slopes distributed around it. The southwest stepped continental slope is higher than the northeast stepped slope, so the water volume in the north and east is deep and open, and the sea water movement is free and smooth, while the southwest is blocked to some extent due to shallow water;At the same time, the water in the north central basin exchanges with the Pacific water through the strait, while the south is close toequatorThe shelf water passes throughMalay PeninsulaThe South Passage between the South Passage and Kalimantan exchanges with the Java sea water, thus forming the different characteristics of the water masses in the north central part and the south part of the South China Sea.[84]
North central water mass
The water bodies in the central and northern basins of the South China Sea arethe pacific oceanSurface waterIt is denatured in the South China Sea. Its characteristics are: the salinity is uniform and above 34 ‰, and the water temperature is higher than 22 ℃.Due to the water exchange between the water body and the Pacific Ocean, the water depth in the middle of the South China Sea is 4000 metersSea basinExistence andthe pacific oceanThe corresponding vertically distributed water masses can be divided into five levels from top to bottom:
arrangement
Water depth
water temperature
salinity
dissolved oxygen
Surface water mass
0~- 90m (90m thick)
22～30℃
32.5～34.5‰
4.0~5.0 ml/l
Subsurface water mass
-90-300m (210m thick)
12～24℃
34.5～35.0‰
3.2~4.0 ml/l
Middle layer water mass
-300~- 900m (600m thick)
5～12℃
34.4～34.5‰
2.0~2.2 ml/l
Deep water mass
-900~- 2600m (1700m thick)
2.3～5.0℃
34.5～34.6‰
1.6~2.5 ml/l
Abyssal basin water mass
Water depth - 2600m or more (1000m thick up and down)
Below 2.5 ℃
34.6～34.7‰
2.5 ml/l
Source:[84]Note: the thickness of water mass gradually increases from top to bottom;The water temperature gradually decreases from top to bottom;The salinity is generally stable, and only the lowest value (22 ‰) appears in the middle layer water mass depth of - 400~- 500 meters;The dissolved oxygen gradually decreases from top to bottom, and stops at the deep water mass
Southern water mass
The water in the south of the South China Sea is close toequatorAnd exchange with Java sea water through the South Passage, forming different characteristics from the water masses in the north central part.There are three kinds of water masses with different natures, namely, the equatorial shelf water of the South China Sea, the mixed water and the central water of Nansha, which are distributed horizontally in the water layer less than - 50 meters shallow;There are four kinds of water masses with different properties, namely surface water, subsurface water, middle water and deep water, vertically distributed from top to bottom in the water body of local sea area.[84]
The surface seawater of the South China Sea is influenced by the tropical ocean monsoon, which forms currents with different flow directions and velocities.stayNortheast monsoonDuring the prevailing period, the current flows from northeast to southwest driven by monsoon, with a flow rate of 0.8~1.5 knots (knots)Taiwan StraitandBashi ChannelIt flows into the South China Sea viaDongsha、Zhongsha、Xisha、Vietnam?The coast and the west side of Nansha flow to the southwest, and turn to the northwest with the monsoon after crossing 4 ° north latitudeKarimata StraitAnd Gaspar Strait flowing southeastJava Sea。At the same time, another current originates fromKalimantan Island NortheasternSuluhai, throughBarabak Strait, viaNansha IslandsSouth toWan'an BeachHeriji Beach flows to the west, and then goes north to reachZhongsha、Xisha IslandsIn the southNortheast monsoonA current in reverse.staySouthwest monsoonDuring the prevailing period, the South China Sea current flows from southwest to northeast, with a flow rate of 0.5~1.0 knots, and the Java sea water firstSoutheast trade windDriven byKarimata StraitAnd the Gaspar Strait into the South China Sea. After crossing the equator, the trade wind deflects into southwest wind, and the sea water flows to the northeastXisha、Zhongsha、DongshaThe archipelago is divided into two branchesBashi ChannelandTaiwan StraitInto the western Pacific andThe East China Sea。[84]
The monsoon current changes with the change of monsoon, and the flow direction is relatively disorderedXisha IslandsSouthwest andNansha IslandsIn the west, there are two cyclonic circulations in the counterclockwise direction.In September, the current center in the north of the South China Sea wasXisha IslandsSouthwest, counterclockwise;The current center in the south of the South China Sea is in the west of the Natuna Islands, in a clockwise direction.Due to the regular exchange of monsoon currents, the water quality of the West, South and Zhongsha Islands is maintained at a high level throughout the year.[84]
Kuroshio Warm Current
Northern Hemispherethe pacific oceanThe north equatorial current flows from east to west on thethe philippine islandsThe east bank is blocked and divided into two branches, and the main stream flows northwardJapanese archipelagoAndThousand Island Cold CurrentMeet and turn eastward to becomeNorth Pacific Warm Current。Tributary channelBashi ChannelEntering the northern South China Sea, the flow velocity in summer is about 1.5 knots, and the width is 30-60 nautical miles;In winter, the flow velocity is more than 2 knots and the width is 70 nautical miles. With high water temperature, high salinity and dark blue water color, it becomes the South China Sea from the northern equatorKuroshio Warm Current。Kuroshio Warm CurrenttoNortheast monsoonIn the South China Sea,Southwest monsoonThe temperature, water temperature, salinity and other factors in the northern South China Sea also change with seasons.[84]
Upwelling current
The sea water rising movement caused by the deep sea current blocked by the seabed topography mainly includes two sea areas:Northeast monsoonThe current flowing westward or southwestward reaches theZhongsha Great Atoll, then forced to rise to local upflow;Southwest monsoonThe current that flows to the northeast reaches the northern continental slope of the deep sea basin in the South China Sea and is blocked and forced to rise into the upwelling.Because the upwelling can bring the cold and high salinity seawater from the deep sea to the surface, it can cool and stabilize the airflow, and bring abundant nutrients to plankton, thus providing sufficient food for fish.[84]
Tidal current
The tides in the South China Sea are divided intoSemidiurnal tide、Diurnal tide, irregular semidiurnal tide and irregular diurnal tide. The South China Sea is basically an irregular diurnal tide area.The amplitude of independent tide directly generated by the sun and moon tide generating force is very small, even if the amplitude of spring tide fluctuation on the synoptic day is only 8 cm;The amplitude of diurnal tide wave is greater than that of semidiurnal tide wave.Semi diurnal and diurnal tidal waves in the Pacific Ocean are generated byBashi ChannelThe fluctuation co vibration introduced into the South China Sea is main. The Pacific semidiurnal tide wave enters the South China Sea and propagates westward and southwestward, ending atequatorThere is no tide point nearby;The Pacific diurnal tide waves spread from north to south in the South China Sea, ending atGulf of ThailandThere is no tide point.The independent tide and tidal wave are influenced by the distribution of sea and land, water depth, deflection force and other factors in the propagation process, and then irregular semidiurnal tide and irregular diurnal tide are generated.The tidal range in the southwest Zhongsha Islands is generally 0.5~1.5m,Xisha IslandsThe tidal range is small, and the average tidal range in three months is only 0.92m;Nansha IslandsOfNanwei IslandTidal range reaches 1.6m,Nansha IslandsThe maximum tidal range in the sea area can reach 3m.Most tidal current velocities are less than 1 knot, and the maximum recorded velocity is only 1.4 knots,XishaThe maximum current velocity in the sea area is about 1 knot.[84]
sea wave
The South China Sea is deep, wide and windy, with alternatingmonsoon, more violenttyphoonThe sea waves are the largest in China's marginal seas.The sea surface wind speed is high,XishaThe annual average wind speed in the sea area is more than 50 m/s, the maximum monthly average wind speed is 80 m/s, and the annual average number of strong wind days above level 5 is about 33 days.Therefore,Zhongsha IslandsThe waves in the sea area are mainly wind waves, accounting for about 60% of the total waves;The minority is the surge from the adjacent sea area, accounting for about 40%.The wind wave and the average wave height are higher in the northeast than in the southwest,XishaThe annual average wave height is 1.4 meters. The average annual wave height from October to next January is more than 1.5 meters. During the typhoon, the wave height reaches 7~9 meters.Nansha IslandsThe annual average wave height is 1.3 meters.In different monsoon prevailing periods, the waves show relative differences.[84-85]
Sea Waves in Northeast Monsoon Period
South China Sea
Northeast of South China SeaBashi ChannelNearby andVietnam?The two sea areas along the southeast coast belong to the fifth level "big wave" area (2.5 ≤ 2.5H1/3m). The effective wave height of wind waves is 2.0m, and the maximum effective wave height is 9.5m (level 9 rough waves). The wave direction is consistent with the northeast monsoon wind direction.Northeast monsoonThe distribution of swell is different from that of wind wave,Bashi ChannelNearby is the sixth level "huge wave area" (≤ 4m), with the maximum effective wave height of 8.5m;The contour line with effective wave height of 2.0m extends from northeast to southwest in tongue shapeNansha IslandsIn the southwest, the contour line with effective wave height of 1.5m is also tongue shaped from northeast to southwest around the above 2.0H1/3 (m) contour line. The wave level of swell decreases from northeast (level 5 big waves) to southwest (level 4 medium waves), and the maximum effective wave height is 6.0~9.5m.[84]
Waves during the southwest monsoon
The wind waves in the southwest monsoon period are generally opposite to those in the northeast monsoon period. The wave level is low, and the wave goes to the northeast. The distribution of the contour of the effective wave height of 1.0m (level 4 medium wave) starts from the northTaiwan StraitSouth, via Dongsha and XishaNansha IslandsSouthwest, southeast, northeast, and end atPalawan Island；Northern South China SeaBashi ChannelThe maximum effective wave height nearby is 7.5~9.5m, in the southNansha IslandsThe maximum effective wave height in the sea area is 7.5~8.5 meters lower than that in the north.Of this periodSurgeIt is larger than the wind wave in the same period, and the 1.0H1/3m contour line isNansha IslandsSouthwest, fromMalay PeninsulaThe east bank of the south end forms a south convex arc to the eastZengmu Dark SandIt ends at the north bank of Kalimantan Island, from here to the northSurgeThe contour lines of 1.25H1/3m and 1.5H1/3m are tongue shaped (semicircle at the southwest end) and gradually broaden to the northeast. They are distributed around the deep sea basin from the west, south and east.The maximum effective wave height in Nansha sea area is 7.0-7.5 meters, and that in the north is 7.0-9.5 meters.[84]
Wave in monsoon transition period
Nansha IslandsThe distribution of sea waves in the monsoon conversion period from April to June every year in the sea area. According to the analysis of the observed data from 1985 to 1987, the maximum effective wave height is 1.81 meters, and the average wave height is 0.18 to 0.68 meters;10 ° N (approxZhenghe Reef GroupNorth), yestyphoonFrequent sea areas,typhoonThe energy is huge. A strong typhoon of level 12 can raise a huge wave of more than 14 meters. When the typhoon occurred (October), there were waves with a wave height of 11 meters.[84]
physical characteristics
The physical characteristics of sea water, such as water temperature, salinity, density, transparency, etc. in the South China Sea area under the jurisdiction of Hainan, that is, marine hydrological factors, affect the movement of sea water in the area, the reproduction of marine organisms, and the distribution of fishing grounds in the South China Sea.[84]
water temperature
Nanhai GenusTropical oceanThe surface water temperature is very high, but due to the large latitude span and the influence of monsoon, ocean current and other factors, the distribution of surface water temperature in the north and south is different.The temporal and spatial variation of water temperature is small, and the annual range is small in the north and small in the south,Xisha IslandsThe annual temperature difference is 5 ℃,Nansha IslandsSouthernZengmu Dark SandThe annual temperature difference is 2.4 ℃, decreasing from north to south.The seasonal change of water temperature is also the north big and south small, and the northeast monsoon prevailsXisha IslandsThe water temperature nearby is between 22 and 27 ℃,Nansha IslandsIn the sea area, the temperature rises to 28 ℃, and the temperature difference between north and south sea water is about 2-5 ℃.But the temperature difference between the surface layer and the bottom layer is large,Southwest monsoonDuring the prevailing period, the surface water temperature in the north and south is between 28 and 29 ℃, while the water temperature below 500 meters is below 8 to 9 ℃ all year round, and the difference between the surface and bottom water temperatures is about 20 ℃.During the monsoon transition period in the first half of the year, the water temperature in the north of the South China Sea increased by about 8 ℃, and slightly increased by 1-2 ℃ in the south. During the monsoon transition period in the second half of the year, the water temperature in the north decreased more than that in the south.[84]
salinity
Zhongsha IslandsAs the sea area is less affected by land runoff, the salinity in general is relatively uniform with little temporal and spatial change.The salinity of the northern part of the plane is higher than that of the southern part. The annual average salinity of the vertical surface seawater is about 32 ‰~33.5 ‰, and the salinity of the bottom layer is higher than that of the surface layer.Northeast monsoonThe Pacific Kuroshio Warm Current with high salinity (34.5 ‰)Bashi ChannelEntering the northern part of the South China Sea, turning southwest and extendingXisha Islands、Vietnam?The salinity decreases to 32 ‰ when the east bank goes south and reaches the southwest end of the South China Sea;Nansha IslandsThere is a stream of water with low salinity (32.5 ‰) moving northward in the sea area.The spatial distribution of surface seawater salinity in the South China Sea in January, in the sea area north of 15.5 ° north latitude, the salinity contour is fromTaiwan IslandFrom 34.5 ‰ in the southwest, it extends to the southwest in tongue shape, and then decreases toXisha33.50 ‰ for sea area;The sea area south of 15.5 ° N,Nansha IslandsSouthwesternHeliolitic reef, Nanwei ReefGuangyatanThe sea area along the belt is a low salinity area, and the 32.5 ‰ low salinity line is a closed ring. Since then, the salinity of the surrounding area has gradually increased, and the 33.25 ‰ isosalinity line extends northward in a tongue shapeZhongsha IslandsSouth.During the southwest monsoon period, under the influence of abundant precipitation and surface runoff injection of surrounding landGuangdong and GuangxiCoastal longitudeBeibu Gulf、Vietnam?Coast, southwest end of the South China Sea, turning to the northeastKalimantanThe north bank is a low salt area (32.00 ‰~32.50 ‰);fromZhongsha IslandsTo the southwestNansha Islands33.25 ‰ and 33.00 ‰ salinity lines extend from northeast to southwest in tongue shape,Xisha IslandsThe 33.50 ‰ salinity isoline in the sea area is distributed in a closed ring, and it decreases from here to the periphery.[84]
density
Zhongsha IslandsThe distribution of surface seawater density in the sea area is affected by temperature, salinityKuroshio Warm CurrentAnd upwelling and other factors, the spatial distribution is generally consistent with the salinity distribution, showing a trend of high in the northeast and low in the southwest,Taiwan StraitNanheBashi ChannelWesterlyDongsha IslandsThe sea area is of high density,Nansha IslandsThe density of the sea area decreases.In terms of time distribution, the density of sea water in the northeast monsoon period is high, and in January, the density in the northeast reaches as high as 21.00~23.50 kg/m3;Southwest monsoonThe density of seawater is low in January, the density in the southwest is only 21.00~21.25 kg/m3, and in July, the density is as low as 19.75~21.25 kg/m3.The 21.00~20.50 kg/m3 isopleth line extends from northeast to southwest to the west of Nansha Islands.[84][126]
transparency
Zhongsha IslandsThe transparency of the sea water is about 20-30 meters, which is greater than the transparency of the other three seas in China, so the sunlight shines deeper into the sea water, which is conducive to the photosynthesis and production of phytoplankton in the seachlorophyll, adddissolved oxygen, promoteplanktonAnd various fishes and corals.However, the transparency changes greatly in season: the transparency is between 28 and 30 meters in October and December in the northeast monsoon prevailing period, and between 26 and 30 meters in January and March. In this period, the rainfall is small, and the surface runoff from the east, west and north land into the sea is also small. The suspended substances such as sediment and plankton brought into the sea are also relatively small, so the transparency is high.During the prevailing period of southwest monsoon, the rainfall in this sea area is large, and the surface runoff of surrounding land is also relatively increased. There are more suspended substances brought into the sea, so the transparency of sea water is naturally low, only 18-24 meters from July to September.[84]
natural resources
Announce
edit
plant resources
Planktonic algae
Soft corals near Zhongjian Island in Xisha
There are many kinds of plankton.The plankton living in the upper water has the characteristics of tropical oceans.In the northern coastal shallow water area, affected by the northeast monsoon in winter, there are warm temperate species invading.However, the occurrence time is relatively short and varies greatly with different years.The phytoplankton in the South China Sea is still mainly composed of tropical species and belongs to the Indo Maya region of the Indo Western Pacific tropical region.There are few species of plankton living in the deep water of the basin, and the biomass is also very low.The main plankton resources in coastal waters include Japanese shrimp, red shrimp, serrated shrimp, jellyfish, and yellow spot jellyfish.[110]
southwestZhongsha IslandsThe marine phytoplankton in the sea area is mainly various algae.According to the comprehensive survey of island resources in Hainan Province from October 1989 to October 1994,Xisha Islandssea areaPlanktonic algaeThere are 219 species, belonging to 3 phyla and 57 genera, with an average density of 10.75 × 10ind/m.Among them, there are 140 diatoms, accounting for 63.93% of the total.The main genera and species areKeratophyta40 species, 37 species of hornwort,Rhizophora20 species, the largest number is Phyllostachys apicalis;The highest individual density was found in the dominant species of Stellaria, which was concentrated in the East Island Sea area;There are 4 species of Hemichaetes, and Hemichaetes membranaceus has a large number.[86]
245 species and 31 varieties of phytoplankton have been found in the central area of the South China Sea. The main ecological groups arediatom、Dinoflagellate, andChrysophyta、blue-green algaeEtc., wherediatomTake an absolute advantage.[86]
Underwater coral
The phytoplankton dense layer in the southern South China Sea has 155 species belonging to 55 genera in the subsurface water with a depth of 35-75 meters. The main ecological groups arediatom、Dinoflagellate, wherediatom42 genera, 111 species and 7 varieties, accounting for 99.6% of the total number of phytoplankton.The dominant genera and species of diatoms are hornwort and rhombus.The sea area of Nansha Islands belongs to the category of tropical biotadiatomandDinoflagellateIt is the main ecological group, includingBrown algae8 kindsGreen algae27 kindsCoralline algae12 kindsRed algae18 kinds.[86]
According to the 2016 China Marine Environmental Quality Bulletin, there are 6 species of seaweeds, 10 species of mangroves and 81 species of reef building corals in the South China Sea.
southwestZhongsha IslandsThe land formation time is not long, and there are not many kinds of wild plants on the island. Some islands even have no wild plants.According to the comprehensive survey of island resources,Xisha IslandsVascular plantThere are 296 species (including varieties), belonging to 80 families and 211 genera. Among them, there are 283 species of resource plants, accounting for 95.6% of the total species, and 249 species of wild plants, many of which are edible and medicinal.Common tropical plants include:Miraceae、leguminous, AristolochiaceaeApocynaceaeAnd the vegetation coverage rate is 43.72%.The forest type is coral island tropical evergreen forest, and tropical coastal evergreen trees areCoastal tung、Pisonia grandis 、Cordia subcordata 4 kinds;Tropical marine evergreen shrubsJatropha curcas、Silver bristle tree、Daphne genkwaThe coastal sandy vegetation includes the communities of Erythrina angustifolia, Salvia salina, Zoysia tenuifoliaMiliaceae、Rattan, concanavalin community, coral island marsh lake plants include seahorse tooth community, pinnate brick seedling, paspalum longifolia community, etc.CultivatedCoconut、Betel nut、Casuarina equisetifolia、Kapok47 species, 33 genera, etc.[86]
Animal resources
Seabirds
There are about 750 species of fish in the northern South China Sea, mainly warm water species, few warm temperate species, and no cold temperate species are found.The fish fauna is subtropical, belonging to the Sino Japanese subregion of the Indo Western Pacific tropical zone.There are more than 1000 species of fish in the south, all of which are warm water. They are mainly distributed in the tropical zone between the islands in the central South China Sea and northward to the Xisha Islands. They belong to the tropical flora and belong to the Indo Maya region of the Indo West Pacific tropical region.The main economic fishes are mullet, herring carp, red snapper, snapper, goldfish, scad and pomfret.[110]
Nansha IslandsZooplanktonThere are many kinds and large quantities.Xisha IslandsThere are 249 species of zooplankton in the sea area, belonging to 110 genera of 8 major groups.amongCopepodsThere are 44 genera and 135 species, accounting for 53.6% of the total species of zooplankton;The second is medusae, 21 genera and 31 species, accounting for 12.8%;The third is Amphipoda, 15 genera and 24 species, accounting for 9.6%.In addition, there are somePolychaete, brachyura and squilla larvae.The total average biomass is 115.1 mg/m, and the total average density is 81.0 ind/m.[87]
The species composition of zooplankton in the central and southern areas of the South China Sea is similar.A total of 757 species and 12 varieties of zooplankton were found in the central sea area, of which the copepods were the most abundant, with a total of 293 species, followed by 148 species of jellyfish and 88 species of amphipods,Ostracoda76 species,Gastropods52 species, and the others, such as chaetognatha and krill, are less.[87]
CoralIt's from tropical and subtropical oceanscoelenterateThere are about 200 species in China, most of which are distributed in the South China Sea islands. There are 110 species and 5 subspecies of coral belonging to the sea area of Hainan Province, belonging to 13 families, 34 genera and 2 subgenera.
They are mainly shellfish,Xisha Islands26 species of benthic molluscs belonging to 25 genera and 19 families have been found in the sea area, and 287 species of intertidal molluscs belonging to 51 families have been found in the Xisha Sea area, accounting for 43.16% of the total intertidal species in the Xisha Sea area, mainly includingAbalone、Pinctada maxima 、Pinctada martensii、baby、TridacnaEtc.
Among the benthos in the southwest Zhongsha Islands, the dominant species has the largest number of species and individuals.A total of 41 species of benthic crustaceans were found in the Xisha Sea area, belonging to 13 families, 28 genera, with the largest number of short tailed species, 25 species in total, belonging to 5 families, 15 genera.
There are about 2000 species of fish in the southwest Zhongsha Islands waters, including about 800 species of economic fish, ranking first in China's four sea areas.In addition to benthic and intertidal fishes, there are 535 species of fishes in the coral reef area of the Xisha Islands, belonging to 18 orders, 90 families and 237 genera. Perciformes are the absolute dominant species, with 386 species in total, accounting for 72.1% of the total species.[87]
The relatively large number of fish species recorded in the coral reef area of the South China Sea is the Xisha and Zhongsha Islands, with 632 species belonging to 26 orders, 99 families, 303 genera;secondlyNansha Islands548 species belonging to 223 genera, 74 families and 19 orders were recorded;514 species belonging to 21 orders, 69 families and 214 genera are recorded in Dongsha Islands.[88]Main species belong toPerciformes、Scorpaeniformes 、Lanternfish、Tetraodontiformes 、PleuromorphaMost species belong to the Indo Western Pacific tropical fish fauna, and about 300 species of economic fish have been found.[87]
According to the survey, there are more than 300 tropical marine ornamental fishes distributed in the southwest Zhongsha Islands waters, includingSparidae42 species,Pterocephalidae54 species, 31 species of pufferfish family,Phalaenopteridae30 kinds,Onychidae19 kinds,Epinephridae10 kinds,Gobiidae14 kinds,Scorpaenidae 13 kinds,Pomadasyidae 9 kinds,Pelargonidae6 kinds, etc.There are 3 species of fish recorded for the first time in Chinese waters, 6 species newly recorded in the South China Sea islands waters, and 5 species newly recorded in the Xisha Islands waters, a total of 14 species.[87]
The fishes in the southwest Zhongsha Islands belong to the Indo Pacific tropical fauna, which is divided into benthic fishes, intertidal fishes, reef swimming fishes andOceanic fish, withCoral reef fishTropical and tropical oceanic fishes account for the vast majority, accounting for about 90% of the total species, and are an important part of China's marine fish fauna.[87]
South China Sea IslandsPhosphate rockThe thickness is 10-100 cm, and the total reserves are about 2 million tons.exceptDongsha IslandsReserves of 600000 tons, southwestZhongsha IslandsThe reserve is about 1.4 million tons, includingXisha IslandsThe reserves are up to 1 million tons, the reserves of Nansha Islands are more than 300000 tons, and the reserves of other islands are about 100000 tons.[87]
China's "Tianwai Tianjingkou Platform" and "Chunxiao Gas Field Central Platform"
southwestZhongsha IslandsThere are a lot ofiron、manganese、copper、nickel、cobalt、lead、zincAnd dozens of metal elements andzeolite, coral shell limestone, etcNon-metallic minerals, andHydrothermal fluidDeposit.The survey data of the South China Sea in 1986 and 1988 showed that cobalt nodule resources were found in the areas of Xianbei seamount, Zhenbei seamount and Shuangfeng seamount with water depths of 1500~1900 meters.The thickness of cobalt crust is generally 1-3 cm, and the maximum thickness is 4-5 cm.The detailed survey of seabed mineral resources from 1984 to 1987 determined that 14 °~21 ° 31 ° north latitude, 115 °~118 ° east longitude and 2000~4000 m water depth aremanganese noduleEnrichment area, concentrated inZhongsha IslandsSouth abyssal basin toDongsha IslandsThe gentle land slope area in the southeast and south,manganese noduleThe diameter is generally 5-14 cm, which is a manganese nodule enrichment area.[89]
The South China Sea is the world's majorsedimentary basin One, 37sedimentary basin It has the geological conditions for oil and gas accumulation, with a total area of about 50 million hectares, about six times the area of the North Sea oil producing area in Western Europe. It is the largest offshore oil and gas storage area in China, with proven oil reserves of 640 million tons and natural gas reserves of 980 billion cubic meters.There are many estimates of the reserves of hydrocarbon resources such as oil and natural gas in the South China Sea.[110]According to the results of the second round of national oil and gas resources assessment completed in 1994, the South China Sea has an oil geological reserve of about 23 billion to 30 billion tons. At least 250 oil and gas fields can be found on the seabed of the South China Sea, of which 12 may become large oil and gas fields. The total proved recoverable oil reserves are 20 billion tons, and the natural gas reserves are about 4 trillion cubic meters. The South China Sea is one of the four largest undersea oil reserves in the world[90]。Oil and gas resources are mainly distributed in the northern shelf oil and gas accumulation area of the South China Sea and the southern Sunda shelf oil and gas accumulation area, andZhongsha IslandsSea area.[91]There is a large amount of combustible ice in the seabed of the South China Sea, and the resource amount is about 19.4 billion tons of oil equivalent.
Distribution of oil and gas resources
Oil and gas accumulation area
Basin mainly storing oil and gas
Oil and gas basins in the northern South China Sea
Beibu Gulf Basin and Yinggehai Basin
Oil and gas basins in the central South China Sea
Zhongsha Basin
Oil and gas basins in the southern South China Sea
Zengmu Basin, Liletan Basin, Nanhuajiao Basin, West Palawan Basin
In the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), "Land and Water Map Review Committee"
South China Sea Islands (collectively referred to as the four major islands), Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands
December 1, 1947, the 36th year of the Republic of China
Source:[112]
Jurisdictional governance
Ancient governance and jurisdiction
period
event
Western Zhou Dynasty
Summon a tigerPingdingHuaiyi, which is very powerful.The countries in the South China Sea expressed their submission to the Western Zhou Dynasty.[6]
Late Qin Dynasty
National war, Nanhai SheriffZhao TuoTaking advantage of the chaos and annexation of three prefectures to build the South Vietnam (Guangdong) state,Hainan IslandReturn with the South China Sea IslandsSouth Vietnamhave jurisdiction over[19]
Western Han Dynasty
The Chinese began to sail in the South China Sea and found a group of coral islands and reefsPearl Cliff、Dan'erTwo counties
The 18th year of Jianwu in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 42)
The territory includes the Nansha Islands, among which《History of the Yuan Dynasty》It records the patrol of the Yuan Dynasty navyNansha Islands。Guo ShoujingstaySouth China Sea Islands"The North Pole of the South China Sea is 15 degrees above the ground", and the time of day length in the South China Sea is also measured[36-38]。
a time of peace or good government
Zheng He and others led hundreds of thousands of men and horses to cross the South China Sea route by dozens of giant ships, as far aswest AsiaandEast Africa。The Ming government established the right toSouth China Sea IslandsAnd the sovereignty and jurisdiction of its sea areas
During the reign of Chenghua and Hongzhi (about 1488)
The Chinese government willNansha IslandsPlotted on the authoritative map, began to clearlySouth China Sea IslandsDivided into four major islandsNansha IslandsExercise administrative jurisdiction.Xisha IslandsThe sea area is patrolled by Guangdong Provincial Navy[43]。[44-47]
Summer of the 27th year of Guangxu (1901)
Japanese businessman Nizawa Jiji drifted to the largest island in the Dongsha Islands-Dongsha Island, foundDongsha IslandThere are abundant phosphate rock resources in the area.
Xizejici rushes inDongsha Island, steal phosphate fertilizer backTaiwanThe sale attracted the attention of the Qing government, which sent officials toDongsha IslandPatrol and erect a monument as a sign of sovereignty.[48]
Li Zhun, the commander of Guangdong navy, and his party wentXisha IslandsDuring the inspection, the Chinese flag was raised on Yongxing Island and 21 salutes were fired.XuantongIn the second year, the regulations of Dongsha Island were promulgated on a trial basis.[49-51]
1911 (the first year of the Republic of China)
Guangdong Provincial Government Announces to Put the Xisha Islands under the Jurisdiction of Ya County, Hainan Island
1920 (the ninth year of the Republic of China)
The Chinese government puts the Xisha Islands under the jurisdiction of Qiongzhou
1928 (17th year of the Republic of China)
Guangdong Political Branch allocates the Xisha Islands to Sun Yat sen University[19]
1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China)
The French gunboat, the Meritus, went to Nanwei Island in the Spratly Islands to "survey" and secretly planted the French flag[52]
April 1933 (22nd year of the Republic of China)
Under the leadership of the director of the Saigon Institute of Oceanography, the French gunship Amerirod and the survey ship Asterolable traveled over the Spratly Islands and made detailed "investigation" to show "occupation"[54-56]
July 1933
France illegally occupies 9 small islands in the Spratly Islands[53]
December 1933
The Governor of Jiaozhi China, Claude Tamer, signed a decree to merge the Spratly Islands into Annambardi Province.[54-56]
1935
The Government of the Republic of China established the "Land and Water Map Review Committee" to publish a Chinese English list of 96 geographical names in the Nansha Islands
April 1935
The Land and Water Map Review Committee published the Map of Islands in the South China Sea, which determined the southernmost boundary line of the South China Sea to 4 ° north latitudeZengmu Dark SandMark within the boundary line
1936
The map of islands in the South China Sea was published, which determined the southernmost boundary line of the South China Sea to 4 ° north latitude, and marked Zengmu Dark Sands within the boundary line.This map was included in the atlas compiled by Bai Meichu - New Map of China's Construction[57]
May 1936
Guangdong Province startedDongsha IslandApprovers shall be responsible for the establishment and management of offices.[58-59]
1939
JapantakeXisha、Nansha IslandsIt was changed to "New South Islands" under the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung Prefecture, Taiwan under Japanese occupation.Japan has rushed to build coastal defense positions, build oil depots, and sort out the berths for seaplanes, especially inDongsha IslandConstruction of airstrip on.After the war, according to《Cairo Declaration》And《Potsdam Announcement》The Chinese government officially resumed its commitment toSouth China Sea Islandsexercise sovereignty[53]
October 1946
The Chinese navy set up a "forward fleet" in Shanghai toXisha Islands、Nansha IslandsTake over sovereignty.The receiving personnel will go by four ships, namely Taiping, Yongxing, CSCEC and Zhongye, of which Taiping and Yongxing will goNansha IslandsChina Construction and China IndustryXisha。In this takeover, the government of the Republic of ChinaTaiping IslandThe Nansha Islands Management Office was established, which is under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Provincial Government.On October 5 of the same year, the French warship Chevroud invadedNansha IslandsOfNanwei IslandandTaiping Island, and onTaiping IslandErect a stone tablet.The Chinese government decides to recoverXisha、Nansha Islands，FranceImmediately lodge a protest and send the warship TokyoXisha Islands。When the ship sails toYongxing IslandIf Chinese troops have been stationed on the island, the ship will be diverted tocoral island, set up an administrative center on the island[53][60-61]
February 1947
The Regional Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of China printed the Location Map of the South China Sea Islands.This map is marked withDongsha Islands、Xisha Islands、Zhongsha IslandsandNansha IslandsAnd a U-shaped discontinuous line is drawn around it, and the southernmost end of the line is marked at about 4 ° north latitude.[62-63]
February 1948
On September 14, 1958, Premier Fan Wen of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
The Location Map of the South China Sea Islands was included in the Administrative Region Map of the Republic of China compiled by Fu Jiaojin, Chief Editor of the Department of Local Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior, Wang Xiguang and otherscommercial pressFor public release, this is the officially marked U-shaped discontinuous line on the map of South China Sea.[62]
August 15, 1951
Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Government CouncilZhou EnlaiIn the Statement on the Draft US UK Peace Treaty with Japan and the San Francisco Conference, it was pointed out that:“Xisha IslandsandNanwei IslandJust like the wholeNansha IslandsandZhongsha Islands、Dongsha IslandsSimilarly, Xiang is Chinese territory. "[64]
September 8, 1951
Observation site of Xisha Meteorological Station in 1950s
The Administrative Division Map of the People's Republic of China has been cancelledHainan IslandTwo discontinuous lines with Vietnam coastTaiwanandRyukyu IslandsOne discontinuous line is added at intervals, forming 9 segments in the South China Sea（Nine segment line）, the discontinuous line of Section 1 of the East China Sea.
China transferred meteorological staff from various provinces to establish the Xisha Islands Meteorological Station, which was later renamed Xisha Marine Hydrometeorological Service Station.[45]
March 24, 1959
The Office of Hainan Administrative Region, Guangdong Province, ChinaXisha IslandsOfYongxing IslandSet up offices in Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands and Zhongsha Islands.[45]
October 22, 1981
The State Council approved the establishment of the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, Guangdong Province, Zhongsha Islands Office (equivalent to the county level), as an agency of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, under the direct leadership of the Hainan Administrative Region.[45][65]
April 24, 1983
The State Council of the People's Republic of China has authorized the China Geographical Names Committee to publish the "Some Standard Geographical Names of Islands in the South China Sea", totaling 287.In addition to naming islands, sandbanks, reefs, hidden sands, beaches and rocks, this naming is the first time that the "waterway" (called "gate" by fishermen) is officially named.[66]
May 31, 1984
The second session of the Sixth National People's Congress deliberated on the proposal of the State Council and decided to establish a Hainan Administrative Region. The islands and reefs of the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands and Zhongsha Islands and their sea areas are under its jurisdiction. The Hainan Administrative Region is under the leadership of the People's Government of Guangdong Province.[45][67]
April 13, 1988
The First Session of the Seventh National People's Congress passed the decision on the establishment of Hainan Province. The South China Sea Islands are part of the jurisdiction of Hainan Province.The Chinese navy stationed in 6 islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands.[45]
Early 1990
The Taiwan authorities decided to separate the Taiping Island in Nansha from the "Ministry of National Defense" and formally put it under the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung City.[45]
February 1992
The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone was officially promulgated and implemented.Article 2 of the Law stipulates that "the land territory of the People's Republic of China includes the mainland of the People's Republic of China and its coastal islands, Taiwan and its affiliated islands, including the Diaoyu Islands, the Penghu Islands, the Dongsha Islands, the Xisha Islands, the Zhongsha Islands, the Nansha Islands and all other islands belonging to the People's Republic of China".
1994
The Ministry of Agriculture began to organize fishery administration ships to cruise Nansha waters regularly for law enforcement
May 1996
The Chinese government announced the 49 territorial sea baselines and the territorial sea baselines connected in a straight line from Gaojiao in Shandong Province to Junbijiao in Hainan Island, as well as the 28 territorial sea baselines and the baselines connected in a straight line in the Xisha Islands, and announced that the rest of the territorial sea baselines would be announced separately.In 2006, the China Maritime Regulatory Commission began to carry out regular rights protection cruise law enforcement in the South China Sea.Since 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture has organized fishery administration ships to cruise Nansha waters regularly for law enforcement.[107]
2006
China Maritime Regulatory Commission began to carry out regular rights protection cruise law enforcement in the South China Sea
2010
The Ministry of Agriculture transformed the development and management mode of Nansha fishery, strengthened the law enforcement of Nansha fishery protection, and for the first time, the fishery administration command center uniformly dispatched and formed a cross sea fishery administration fleet to cruise.[106]
June 21, 2012
Beijing Road, Yongxing Island (September 2015)
The State Council of China approved the establishment of Sansha City in Hainan Province, which governs the islands, reefs and sea areas of the Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands and Nansha Islands.
April 19, 2020
The sovereignty symbol at the southernmost end of China (Zengmu Dark Sand)[115]
The standard names of some islands, reefs and seabed geographical entities in the South China Sea were published.The Standard Place Names of Some Islands in the South China Sea, which was authorized by the China Geographical Names Commission in April 1983, continues to be valid.[68]
Protection research
Announce
edit
Value significance
Economics
Many fishing grounds in the South China Sea are traditional production areas for Chinese fishermen.1064 species of fishes, 135 species of shrimps and 73 species of cephalopods have been recorded on the northern continental shelf;80% of the marine catch in this area comes from the coastal waters in the north of the South China Sea.[92]
According to the census data of the Ministry of Land and Resources of China, there are more than ten known major oil bearing basins on the continental shelf of the South China Sea, covering an area of about 852400 square kilometers,petroleumThe reserves are at least 23 billion to 30 billion tons, accounting for more than 1/4 of the world's oil reserves;natural gas20 trillion cubic meters.There are a lot ofCombustible iceThe resources amount to about 19.4 billion tons of oil equivalent, which is 6 times of the proven oil and gas geological reserves in deepwater exploration in the South China Sea.Polymetals in the South China Seamanganese noduleThe mineral reserves are also extremely rich.[92]
traffic
The South China Sea Channel is one of the busiest channels in the world, with at least 37 world traffic routes passing through the sea area;More than 41000 ships pass through the South China Sea every year, and more than half of the world's large and medium-sized commercial ships and super tankers pass through the sea,U.S.AfromAsia PacificMore than 90% of important imported raw materials pass through the sea area.More than 85% of China's oil imports must be transported through the South China Sea;Japanandthe republic of koreaMore than 90% of oil,TaiwanMore than 98 per cent of oil imports must pass through the region.[92]
The South China Sea is the most critical hub and throat on the north-south passage of the Western Pacific Rim Sea, and is an extremely important strategic transportation lifeline for China.yesthe pacific oceanAndthe indian oceanIt is also one of the most important sea routes between Western Europe, the Middle East and the Far EastSoutheast Asia、South Asia、west Asia、AfricaMust pass by.[92]
Chinese governments of all dynasties shall not later thanTang dynastyAt the beginning, from the aspects of being included in the territory, setting up administrative regions, supervising development, rescuing foreign ships in distress, standardizing place names, and declaring sovereigntyNansha IslandsContinuous and effective sovereign jurisdiction has been conducted.[93-95]
the Second World Warperiod,JapanLaunched the war of aggression against China and occupied most parts of China, includingNansha Islands。《Cairo Declaration》And《Potsdam Announcement》And other international documents clearly stipulate that China's territory stolen by Japan should be returned to China, which naturally includesNansha Islands。In December of the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), the Chinese government appointed senior officials toNansha IslandsReception: hold a reception ceremony on the island, erect a monument to commemorate and send troops to garrison.In 1952, the Japanese government officially said that it "gave up the right toTaiwan、Penghu Islandsas well asNansha Islands、Xisha IslandsAll rights, names and requirements of "Nansha IslandsIt was officially returned to China.[96]
According to the new territorial sea baseline specified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
For quite a long time after the war, there was no so-called South China Sea issue.No country in the South China Sea surrounding ChinaNansha IslandsThe exercise of sovereignty in and around the sea area has raised objections.Vietnam?Before 1975, China clearly recognized thatNansha IslandsTerritorial sovereignty[97-100]。the PhilippinesandMalaysiaBefore the 1970s, other countries did not have any legal documents or leaders' speeches referring to their territory, includingNansha Islands。U.S.AAndSpainThe Paris Treaty signed in 1898 and the Washington Treaty signed in 1900 clearly stipulated thatthe PhilippinesTerritory of[101], but does not includeNansha Islands。The Philippine Constitution of 1953 and the Philippine US Military Alliance Treaty of 1951 further confirmed this,MalaysiaIn December 1978, on the map of the continental shelf published by himNansha IslandsSome islands, reefs and sea areas ofMalaysiaDomestic.
The resolutions of many governments and international conferences recognize the Nansha Islands as China's territory.Map annotation published in many countriesNansha IslandsBelongs to China[102-103]。The dispute over the sovereignty of the South China Sea started in the second half of the 20th century.Since the 1960s, the outcropping islands, reefs and waters in the South China Sea have been occupied by some neighboring countries.Those who put forward the so-called "sovereignty" requirements and divided the sea areaVietnam?、the Philippines、MalaysiaandBruneiEtc.The sovereignty of islands and reefs in the South China Sea and the jurisdiction of some sea areas have formed a dispute situation between six countries and seven parties.In addition to 9 islands and reefs occupied by China (including 2 islands and reefs occupied by Taiwan), 42 islands and reefs were occupied, includingVietnam?29,the Philippines8,Malaysia5,Brunei、IndonesiaThey also put forward claims on some islands and sea areas.[104]
In the 1970s, under the planning of the former Ministry of Geology and Guangdong Province, the only marine geological research institution in China moved southward to Guangdong, renamed the Second Marine Geological Survey Brigade, and carried out preliminary geological and geophysical surveys in the Beibu Gulf of the South China Sea and the northern continental shelf of the South China Sea.In January 1982, the State Council promulgated the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Cooperation in the Exploitation of Offshore Oil Resources, allowing foreign enterprises to participate in the cooperative exploitation of China's offshore oil resources.The cumulative production of the oil field in the eastern South China Sea where the Pearl River Mouth Basin is located exceeds 220 million tons (oil equivalent), and 23 oil and gas bearing structures have been found, of which 8 oil fields have been put into development, making it China's domestic offshore oil and gas field with the highest cumulative production.
At the end of the 20th century, China started the investigation work in the field of hydrate.In 2004, Jiulong methane, the largest authigenic carbonate area in the world, was discovered in the South China Sea.In 2016, the China Geological Survey identified the hydrate pilot production as the No. 1 project, and the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey was the unit undertaking the pilot production project. On March 28, 2017, the first well of hydrate pilot production was officially drilled in the Shenhu sea area of the South China Sea.[117]
In 2011,South China Sea Deep PlanImplementation: hundreds of anchor system surveys and offshore tests have been carried out in the deep-water area of the South China Sea, a variety of deep geophysical tests have been carried out, four ocean drilling voyages and four deep diving voyages have been completed, as well as a large number of observations and experiments in many disciplines such as biogeochemistry.[118-119]
Scientific investigation
The early exploration of the South China Sea can be traced back to the exploratory exploration of the American "Vincenz" in the 22nd year of Daoguang (1842), the British "Challenger" in the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872), and the American "Albatross" in the 34th year of Guangxu (1908);Since the 1920s, Japan, the Soviet Union, France and the United Kingdom have also investigated the islands in the South China Sea with the main purpose of compiling nautical charts and waterways.From the 1960s to the 1970s, due to economic and military needs, many countries in the world made more frequent investigations in the South China Sea. In addition to the United States, the Soviet Union and other countries that organized some international joint investigations, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong also made many investigations in the South China Sea.
The earliest scientific expedition in China was the Xisha field survey organized by the Guangdong Provincial Government in May of the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, a special scientific expedition to the South China Sea was organized in the national marine census carried out from the late 1950s to the early 1960s.Taiwan's Yangming and Jiulian have also conducted surveys in the South China Sea.Since the 1970s, China's relevant marine research institutions, such as the Institute of Oceanography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the South China Sea Branch of the State Oceanic Administration, the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Academy of Fishery Sciences and other units, as well as the petroleum, geological and mineral departments, have strengthened their comprehensive or professional investigation and research in the South China Sea.[121]
