Lower Atmospheric Ducts Over the South China Sea Related to the Monsoon, Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions Based on ECMWF Reanalysis Data

Abstract

Atmospheric ducting is a highly refractive propagation condition that frequently occurs at sea and significantly impacts radar and communication equipment. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution of Lower Atmospheric Ducts (LAD) in the South China Sea (SCS) and the variation of their occurrence rate with the monsoon by using reanalysis data from the ECMWF from 1980 to 2022. Additionally, the study discusses the relationship between ducting occurrences and atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The results indicate that wind dynamics in the SCS significantly impact ducting incidents. During the high-incidence period of LAD, humidity gradient-constructed ducts are the primary mechanism. Before the onset of the monsoon, the mountains in the western part of Luzon Island obstruct the easterly wind, resulting in high temperatures and strong evaporation along the western coast of the mountains. Meanwhile, low temperatures and humidity prevail in the eastern part of the mountains, it leads to a stratified atmosphere characterized by dry and cold upper layers and warm and humid lower layers in the western part of Luzon Island, which causes a distinct decrease in humidity with height. After the onset of the monsoon, the air from the Indochina Peninsula to the ocean is dry and cold, but the high-altitude area blocks it. This weakens the horizontal mobility of the low-level humid atmosphere over the sea, resulting in atmospheric stratification in the eastern coastal area of the Indochina Peninsula. This stratification leads to dry and cold upper layers and warm and humid lower layers.