Mapping the Seasonal Variations of Chlorophyll Concentrations in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman Using MODIS Satellite Data

Abstract

The Arabian Gulf is a semi-enclosed large water body that experiences seasonal variations and reversal of its water currents’ flow circulation. The waters of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are characterized by high primary productivity and strong phytoplankton blooms at different times of the year. This research uses MODIS/AQUA chlorophyll concentrations of the two gulfs, along with water- and air-current patterns, to identify the factors and mechanisms that regulate the variations of these chlorophyll concentrations. The study's major findings are that observed chlorophyll concentrations are strongly correlated with wind and water current movement on both gulfs. Further, chlorophyll concentrations in the Arabian Gulf begin to increase in August and reach a peak in December as a result of the upwelling of bottom water currents driven by the north- to north-westerly wind currents, or summer shamals, from June through August. In the Gulf of Oman and the north-eastern Arabian Sea, by contrast, chlorop...