3D Model Application to Study Residual Flow in the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic model is employed to investigate the mean flow pattern in the Arabian Gulf. After calibration of the model against measured data, simulations are done for summer and winter hydrological scenarios. As the dynamics of the Gulf are significantly influenced by salinity and temperature, measured values of these parameters are directly used to get a realistic flow field. Numerical experiments with the model are carried out such in a way that the importance of the major factors contributing to the residual current is investigated by using their suitable combination. The model results show that the density field develops different flow patterns in the summer and winter, except for a common feature of anticlockwise gyre in the northern Gulf. While the tide is found to contribute little to the flow, the wind generates strong currents along the coasts of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.