Interannual variability of red sea overflow water pathways in the Western Arabian Sea in an eddy rich reanalysis

Abstract

The present study investigates the interannual variability of the advective pathways and transit times of the Red Sea Overflow Water (RSOW) in the western Arabian Sea using virtual particles as a proxy indicator for the poorly understood RSOW spreading. The Lagrangian simulations are based on the GLORYS12 eddy-rich reanalysis (1/12°), which assimilates most satellite and in situ observations from 1993 to 2018. Statistical analysis of particle positions reveals the Gulf's mouth is always the main RSOW export route out of the Gulf of Aden. Moreover, there is substantial interannual variability in the three RSOW pathways in the western Arabian Sea, which are consistent with in-situ salinity variability at the RSOW layer. The faster Socotra pathway is strongest for particles released in 1998–1999 and 2012 and almost non-existent for the ones released in 2006–2007. The strongest state of the Socotra pathway co-occurs with some of the most powerful El-Nino/Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole events in history. A decadal seesaw stands out between the Northwest pathway, which advects RSOW northward offshore the Arabian Peninsula, and the Southwest pathway, which advects RSOW southward to the Somali Basin along the eastern side of Socotra. While the Northwest pathway strengthened from 1996 to 2011, the Southwest weakened. These changes are associated with interannual variability in the western boundary undercurrents and subsurface eddy kinetic energy. Interestingly, the Northwest pathway trajectories are eddy-dominated, in striking contrast with the Socotra and Southwest pathways, in which western boundary undercurrents are major players. This fact suggests that eddy-induced transport is likely to have a significant role in spreading the RSOW northward. No considerable interannual variability in transit times is detected for any pathway.