A review of internal solitary wave dynamics in the northern South China Sea

• Internal wave dynamics in the northern South China Sea is comprehensively reviewed.
• Three different investigation methods are summarized.
• Wave generation, evolution, transformation, and dissipation are elaborated upon.
• Some hot issues are raised and broadly discussed.

The current research into internal solitary waves (ISWs) and the related dynamic processes in the northern South China Sea (SCS) are reviewed in this paper. This unique wave phenomenon did not draw much interest until about one decade ago, and is now one of the hot topics in the field of wave dynamics. Three methods of investigation are summarized in the paper, namely, remote sensing images, in situ measurements, and numerical simulations. Previous works have primarily been based on one or two of these methods and have provided great insights into such wave phenomena.The lifetime of an ISW in the northern SCS, from its origin in the Luzon Strait (LS), through to its formation and evolution in the deep basin, and its transformation near the shelf break, up until its dissipation on the continental shelf, is summarized, with the illustration of different investigation approaches. Various factors that can affect the wave generation processes are summed up as well. Such factors as are barotropic tides in the LS, Kuroshio intrusion, temporal and spatial variation of stratification, and the modulation of the western ridge in the LS can significantly alter the wave fields and are extensively discussed.