Seasonal variation of surface currents in the southwestern Taiwan Strait observed with HF radar

Long-term measurements from a pair of High-Frequency radar systems deployed near the coast of southern Fujian Province showed that surface currents in the southwestern Taiwan Strait were composed mainly of the monsoon-driven, seasonal fluctuation of longshore current and a persistent northeastward background flow with speeds around 10 cm/s. Measurements from bottom-moored ADCPs further indicated that below the surface Ekman layer longshore currents also directed to the north all year round.