On the basis of hydrographic data obtained from 12 June to 6 July, 1998, the three-dimensional structure of circulation in the South China Sea (SCS) is computed using a three-dimensional diagnostic model. The combination of sea surface height anomaly from altimeter data and numerical results provides a consistent circulation pattern for the SCS, and the main circulation features can be summarized as follows: In the northern SCS there are a cyclonic eddy C1 near Dongsha Islands and an anti-cyclonic eddy W1 west of Luzon Island. In the central SCS a strong anti-cyclonic eddy W3 and a cyclonic eddy C3 compose a quasi-dipole southeast of Vietnam. A coastal northward jet is present at the western boundary near the Vietnam coast above 300 m level. This northward coastal jet flows northward and turns eastward at about 14°N, and then flows southeastward into the area between eddies W3 and C3. In the southern SCS the current is weaker. The most important dynamic mechanism underlying the circulation in the SCS is the joint effect of the baroclinicity and relief (JEBAR), and the second dynamical mechanism is the interaction between the wind stress and relief (IBWSR). Comparison of the characters of circulation in the SCS during summer 2000 with that during summer 1998 reveals no obvious variability of the main characteristics.
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