The relationship between satellite-derived primary production and vertical mixing and atmospheric inputs in the Yellow Sea cold water mass

This study examined the spatiotemporal distribution of primary production and its relationship with climatic and environmental factors in the south Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) from January 1998 to December 2007. Primary production was estimated from satellite ocean color data. The annual primary production cycle was characterized by two peaks: a larger one in April (spring) and a smaller one in November (fall). The first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) mode of monthly primary production showed that two peaks occurred separately in spring and fall most years and two high primary production regions appeared in the middle of the YSCWM. The first EOF mode of monthly and spring primary production revealed a high primary production value in spring 2006. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses suggested that primary production was influenced by the mixed layer depth (MLD), upward sea water velocity, aerosol index, and precipitation. The consistency between the first EOF mode of spring primary production and the aerosol index suggested that Asian dust events are important in the interannual variation of primary production in spring, especially in 2006.

► Main modes of primary production (PP) were extracted by EOF analysis.
► EOF analysis revealed a high PP value in spring 2006.
► PP was influenced by MLD, upward velocity, aerosol index and precipitation.
► Asian dust is important in interannual PP variation in spring, especially in 2006.