The peculiar wind and wave climatology of the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

Based on a 40-year hindcast, we analyze the climatology and long-term trends of wind and waves in the Arabian Gulf. We identify and characterize four dominant wind systems, and their related mean wave conditions and long-term trends. Focusing on the summer Shamal wind, we observed a mild decrease in the number of Shamal events with time, whereas their intensity shows little to no variation. Further, we revealed a tendency toward an extension of the summer Shamal season from August to September. On a short time scale, the related wind fields show an evident daily oscillation associated with the daily heating of the Arabian Peninsula, with wind speeds peaking at 3:00 p.m. local time (UTC+3) on land and 12 h later on the sea. The long-term analysis conducted herein reveals limited, but significant, trends in surface pressure and related west-to-east pressure gradients in August. In September, the observed increasing number of Shamal storms is associated with an increase of the longitudinal local pressure gradient.