Recent hydrodynamic and recirculation findings of the Arabian Gulf

The Arabian (Persian) Gulf is a strategic water carrier that overlooks major oil-reach gulf countries and transports most of the world traded oil. Understanding its water dynamics is therefore a necessary component for any environmental studies, coastal development projects, and oil pollution prediction models to be undertaken in the region. The current paper reports major findings of recent field observations and hydrodynamic modeling effort conducted in the Arabian Gulf. The field observations were obtained during a hydrographic survey conducted to measure the salinity and temperature in the southern shelf of the Gulf in summer and winter seasons. Salinity and temperature fields were developed to complement the physical data established from earlier studies. Hydrodynamic simulation of the Arabian Gulf was made using a three dimension rectilinear grid system with parallel layers and considering typical seasonal wind fields developed via combining Hellerman historical data with the new data recorded in the southern shelf. Model calibration was carried out via comparing the simulated results with observed levels and currents. The mean flow pattern was then studied by investigating the major factors contributing to the residual current. While the tide was found contributing little to the residual flow, the wind was found to generate strong currents along the coasts of Saudi Arabia and UAE.