Analysis on characteristics and mechanism of current system in west coast of Guangdong Province in the summer

Based on data of tracts of drifting bottles, current at continuous stations, temperature and salinity in some cruise investigations, ADCP (current) and AVHRR(SST) in the west coast of Guangdong Province, the synthetic analysis results show that the coastal currents in the west of the mouth of Zhujiang River flow mainly westward in summer, composing the north branch of cyclonic gyre in the east of Qiongzhou Strait, and partially water flows westward into the Beibu Gulf through the Qiongzhou Strait.The coastal current pattern is no tidentical with the traditional current system, which is that the residual current flows westward in the Qiongzhou Strait in winter and eastward in summer.The coastal current, which is westward, maybe temporarily turn to northeast only if the southwestern wind is strong.The important characteristics of coastal current in the west coast of Guangdong Province, in the Qiongzhou Strait and in the north of Beibuwan Gulf are analyzed and their mechanism are explained.