Abstract:

An algorithm has been developed for estimating the surface concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite (N+N) in the Northern South China Sea (NSCS) through a combination of remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) and the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The uncertainty in the remotely sensed N+N was about ±40%. The climatologically spatial and temporal distributions of the satellite-derived surface N+N in the NSCS were projected. The effects of monsoons, surface heating/cooling, riverine input and coastal upwelling on the distributions of surface N+N were evaluated.