The Seasonal Changes of the Circulation Pattern in the Arabian Gulf Deduced from the Field of Mass PDF

Keywords

hydrographic, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman

Abstract

Hydrographic data, collected in the period 1933-1992 (from NODC, USA), in the Arabian Gulf and the area near the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman, are used for the evaluation of the surface density current in the Arabian Gulf relative to 50 decibar level. The current speed has attained its highest value in summer where it reaches a value of 19 cm/sec, whereas the lowest values are found in winter and autumn with a range of 2-8 cm/sec. This is explained by the strong horizontal and vertical mixing in late autumn and winter, which causes lower density current values while in summer, more stratification is established. The cyclonic eddies are deduced in the north and the south of the study area in winter and summer; this agrees with the previous current measurements and the ships drift data. The present model suggests also anticyclonic gyre in spring and autumn.