[A-OS15] Physical Oceanography (General)

[AOS15-11] Satellite Observations of Seasonal Sea-Level Oscillations around the Arabian Peninsula

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*Muhammad Usman¹, Kosuke Heki, Abdul Malik, Sigurjon Jonsson, Yousef Nazzal, Fares Howari (1.Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE)

Keywords:Sea Level, Wind , Crustal Movements

The average sea level of the Red Sea rises in winter and falls in summer, exhibiting notable seasonal variations that are mainly driven by wind. In winter, winds from the southern and northern parts of the Red Sea blow towards each other and thus impede seawater flow from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, which consequently raises the sea level in the Red Sea. On the other hand, in summer, the wind direction is unidirectional from North to South, which encourages seawater outflow from the Red Sea to the Aden Gulf, lowing the average sea level in the Red Sea. By using the GRACE/GRACE-FO satellite MASCON solutions, we clearly see these seasonal mass variations in the Red Sea. In addition, we have detected a similar kind of seasonal rise and fall in the Arabian Gulf, which seems in phase with the Red Sea variations. Furthermore, a slight seasonal variation appears to occur in the Aden Gulf as well, but it seems to be out of phase with the seasonal sea-level variations of the Red Sea. By using, gravity, altimetry, and precipitation data from different satellites, we present some preliminary results and discuss possible mechanisms for the observed sea-level changes.

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