Introduction

Abstract

Physical oceanography had its commencement in China seas with studies on tides in late 1940’s, followed by wind wave study in early 1950’s. In the last 40 years it grew gradually with a series of investigations, such as the Comprehensive Fishery Investigation off Yantai and Weihai (1955), the Investigation in the Bohai Sea and Western Yellow Sea (1957) and the National Oceanographic Investigation (1958-1961). Through these investigations physical oceanography expanded its scope from tides and waves to currents and water masses. From the early 1960’s on, routine oceanographic survey (sections) on the shelves of China seas has been carried out. Since 1984 the area of the Nansha Islands in the southern South China Sea has been surveyed. Various investigations were also conducted for special purposes, including bilateral international programs, such as the PRC-USA Cooperative Study on Sedimentation off Yangtze Estuary (1979–1982), Academia Sinica Institute of Oceanology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program on General Circulation and Sedimentation in the Southern Yellow Sea (1983–1986) and China- Japan Joint Investigation of the Kuroshio (1986–1992).