Luzon Strait

Luzon Strait is the stretch of ocean between Taiwan and Luzon in the Philippines. It connects the South China Sea with the Philippine Sea and carries major ocean currents and shipping routes.

Kuroshio Current: A strong western boundary current in the North Pacific that flows northward past Taiwan and Japan. It enters the Philippine Sea through the strait and influences water exchange with the South China Sea.
Batanes Islands: A Philippine island group in the northernmost part of the country, between Luzon and Taiwan. The islands mark the southern side of several passages across the strait.
Taiwan Strait: A strait separating Taiwan from mainland China and connecting the East China Sea with the South China Sea. It is the other major maritime passage around Taiwan, with different geography and political significance.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: A recurring climate pattern involving coupled changes in tropical Pacific sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation. Its changing winds and currents can alter water exchange through the strait.
Ocean observation: The systematic measurement of ocean properties, motion, and change. Direct observations help resolve how much water moves through the strait at different depths.
South China Sea Throughflow: The net movement of Pacific water through the South China Sea and into the Indian Ocean. The strait is a principal gateway for Pacific water entering this circulation system.
Babuyan Islands: A Philippine island group north of Luzon, separating parts of the Luzon Strait’s channel system. Their position helps define Balintang Channel and nearby routes.
South China Sea: A marginal sea of the western Pacific bordered by Southeast Asian countries and China. The strait’s southern waters open directly into this sea.
Marine biodiversity: The variety of marine life across genes, species, and ecosystems. The strait’s varied depths and currents create habitats and routes for marine organisms.
Ocean modeling: The use of mathematical and computational models to represent ocean processes. Models test how the strait’s complex topography shapes circulation and internal waves.

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Pingtung CountyRelated: Pingtung’s southern coastline faces this passage between the South China Sea and Philippine Sea.