Surface Currents Along the Coast of the Chinese Mainland Observed by Coastal Drifters During April‐May 2019

Abstract We have analyzed the surface current characteristics along the coast of the Chinese mainland in autumn and winter by the trajectories of coastal drifters in a previous study (Yang et al., 2021). This paper is a follow-up study focusing on the surface current characteristics in spring. By the trajectories of coastal drifters in April‐May 2019, we continue to analyze the characteristics of surface currents. It is indicated that: (1) the surface currents were generally southwestward along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian, while they flowed northeastward in the offshore area in April 2019. (2) In May 2019, the surface current in the sea area north of 28°N had a small speed without a fixed direction nearshore, but had larger speed offshore. (3) The surface currents along the Zhejiang coast were variable in April‐May 2019, mainly corresponding to the change of wind field. (4) The coastal drifter is a useful instrument to observe circulation systems more precisely in nearshore but not deep ocean.