This book aims to share newly obtained results and information on regional oceanography of the South China Sea by leading experts in fields such as water mass, circulation, mesoscale eddies, near-inertial motion, upwelling, mixing, continental shelf waves, internal waves and fronts. These comprehensive results can provide new insights on global and regional climate change.

This book aims to share newly obtained results and information on regional oceanography within the contour of South China Sea by leading experts in the fields such as water mass, circulation, mesoscale eddies, near-inertial motion, upwelling, mixing, continental shelf waves, internal waves and fronts. Fresh data obtained through Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) observations in the surrounding areas of South China Sea to provide new insights on global and regional climate changes.

Pinxian Wang and Qianyu Li The South China Sea (SCS) (Fig. 1. 1) offers a special attraction for Earth scientists world-wide because of its location and its well-preserved hemipelagic sediments. As the largest one of the marginal seas separating Asia from the Paci?c, the largest continent from the largest ocean, the SCS functions as a focal point in land-sea int- actions of the Earth system. Climatically, the SCS is located between the Western Paci?c Warm Pool, the centre of global heating at the sea level, and the Tibetan Plateau, the centre of heating at an altitude of 5,000m. Geomorphologically, the SCS lies to the east of the highest peak on earth, Zhumulangma or Everest in the Himalayas (8,848m elevation) and to the west of the deepest trench in the ocean, Philippine Trench (10,497m water depth) (Wang P. 2004). Biogeographically, the SCS belongs to the so-called “East Indies Triangle” where modern marine and terrestrial biodiversity reaches a global maximum (Briggs 1999). Among the major marginal sea basins from the west Paci?c, the SCS presents some of the best conditions for accumulating complete paleoclimatic records in its hemipelagic deposits. These records are favorable for high-resolution pa- oceanographic studies because of high sedimentation rates and good carbonate preservation. It may not be merely a coincidence that two cores from the southern 14 SCS were among the ?rst several cores in the world ocean used by AMS C dating for high-resolution stratigraphy (Andree et al. 1986; Broecker et al. 1988).

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the South China Sea covers topics such as baselines, historic title and rights, due regard and abuse of rights, peaceful use of the ocean, navigation regimes, marine scientific research, intelligence gathering, the UNCLOS dispute settlement system and regional common heritage. In search of varying viewpoints, the authors in this book come from multiple countries. Ongoing events, such as the recent waves made by China in the East China Sea and increasing tensions between the South East Asian countries over the use of South China Sea, make this book especially pertinent.

The waters and rich resources of the South China Sea are claimed by seven different countries, and it is estimated that approximately 40% of the world’s trade moves through the area. Marine Geology and Geotechnology of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait examines the physiology, geology, and potential development of this important portion of the western Pacific Ocean’s largest marginal sea. The book covers multiple oceanographic topics, and further discusses topography, sedimentation, wave generation, and hazards such as earthquakes, storm surges, and tsunamis. In addition, it explains the engineering issues and design considerations involved regarding a potential Taiwan Strait Crossing, as well as the development of near-shore communities. Features: Examines seabed material, such as clays, calcareous, siliceous, and various other organic sediments Presents different potential routing strategies for sea crossings using tunnels, bridges, or a combination of both Provides bridge design recommendations considering aesthetics, seismic and wind issues, potential vessel collisions, and more Includes a historical timeline and useful maps regarding the political complexity of the area and the various territorial claims made by different nations Marine Geology and Geotechnology of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait serves as a valuable resource for geotechnical engineers, marine geologists, civil engineers, and professionals concerned with the region.