A Moored Array Observation Dataset for Air-Sea·Surface, Upper and Bottom Ocean in the Northern South China Sea during 2014–2015 (MASCS 1.0)

Abstract. This study reports a moored array dataset (MASCS 1.0) consisting of five buoys and four moorings in the northern South China Sea during 2014–2015. The dataset includes measurements of sea surface meteorological data using two sets of instruments: sea surface waves recorded using a wave recorder, temperature and salinity from the surface to a depth of 400 m, and at 10 m and 50 m above the ocean bottom using conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) recorders. It also includes currents from the surface to a depth of 850 m measured using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and at 10 m, 50 m, and 100 m above the surface measured using current meters. Additional measurements were taken for sea surface radiation, air visibility, chlorophyll, turbidity and chromophoric dissolved organic matter at Buoy 3, which was located at the center of the moored array. The dataset captures the effects of tropical cyclones Rammasun, Kalmaegi, Fung-wong, and Hagupit on the moored array, as well as the transition from summer to winter monsoon in the northern South China Sea. The data reveal oceanic processes in the upper and bottom ocean and are valuable for further studies on air-sea interactions and ocean dynamics. All the data described here are made publicly available from https://zenodo.org/records/12635331 (Zhang et al. 2024).