Satellite observation of the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal front in the East China Sea

The Zhejiang-Fujian coastal front in the East China Sea has been studied using an 12-year time series (1991-2002) of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images. Satellite observation has shown that the front exits all year round and has a length scale of about 597 km. The strength and width of the front vary with average values of 0.14 degC/km and 14 km respectively. The front is characterized by the presence along its edges of rings which have a time scale of 1-7 days and a length of 30-90 km.