Abstract
Marine heat waves (MHWs) can have catastrophic consequences for the socio-environmental system. Especially in the Red Sea, which has the world’s second longest coral reef system. Here, we investigate the sea surface temperature (SST) variability and trends, as well as the spatiotemporal characteristics of marine heat waves (MHWs) in the Red Sea, using high resolution daily gridded (1/20°) SST data obtained from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) for the period 1982–2019. Results show that the average warming rate was about 0.342 ± 0.047 °C/decade over the entire Red Sea over the whole study period. The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis reveals that the maximum variability is over the central part of the Red Sea, while the minimum variability is in the southernmost part of the Red Sea. Over the last two decades (2000–2019), we have discovered that the average MHW frequency and duration increased by 35% and 67%, respectively. The results illustrate that the MHW frequency and duration trends have increased by 1.17 counts/decade and 1.79 days/decade, respectively, over the study period. The highest annual MHW frequencies were detected in the years 2018, 2019, 2010, and 2017. A strong correlation (R = 0.89) was found between the annual MHW frequency and the annual mean SST.
Highlights
Heat waves are characterized as extended periods of unusually hot weather that have become more frequent and longer in recent decades, posing a threat to human health and ecosystems
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) variability, trends, and spatiotemporal patterns of marine heat waves in the Red Sea from 1982 to 2019
The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis showed that the highest interannual variability was detected over the central and northern part of the Red Sea, while the lowest variability was found over the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba and the southernmost part of the Red Sea
Summary
Heat waves are characterized as extended periods of unusually hot weather that have become more frequent and longer in recent decades, posing a threat to human health and ecosystems. A similar phenomenon known as a ‘Marine Heat Wave’ (MHW) has been observed in the oceans, endangering marine ecosystems and productivity [1,2,3,4]. The most recent definition of MHWs is discrete periods of abnormally warm sea surface temperatures that can last from five days to months above the 90th percentile threshold of SST climatology [5,6,7]. The Red Sea has a rich and diverse ecosystem [8]. It has the world’s second longest coral reef system [9]. The importance of the Red Sea is highlighted by its high tourism volume and aquaculture, and its relation to the gas and oil and fishing industries
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