Numerical Study of Influencing Factors on Tidal Wave Propagation in the Persian Gulf

• Published in: Ocean science journal Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 642 - 671
• Main Authors: Hoseini, S. Mahya, Soltanpour, Mohsen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology and The Korean Society of Oceanography 01-12-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amphidromic systems; Aquatic Pollution; Bathymetry; Bottom friction; Continental shelves; Coriolis force; Deformation; Diurnal variations; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Friction; Kelvin waves; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Mathematical models; Oceanography; Propagation; Tidal constituents; Tidal waves; Tide tables; Tides; Waste Water Technology; Water levels; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Wave propagation; Persian Gulf; Kelvin wave; Hydrodynamic modelling; Persian Gulf; Tidal wave propagation; Tide analysis
• ISSN: 1738-5261; 2005-7172
• DOI: 10.1007/s12601-022-00091-x

A 2D hydrodynamic model is employed to study the characteristics of tidal wave propagation in the Persian Gulf (PG). The study indicates that tidal waves propagate from the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman into the PG through the Strait of Hormuz. The numerical model is first validated using the measured water levels and current speeds around the PG and the principal tidal constituents of Admiralty tide tables. Considering the intermediate width of the PG, in comparison to the Rossby deformation radius, the tidal wave propagates like a Kelvin wave on the boundaries. Whereas the continental shelf oscillation resonance of the basin is close to the period of diurnal constituents, the results show that the tide is mixed mainly semidiurnal. A series of numerical tests is also developed to study the various effects of geometry and bathymetry of the PG, Coriolis force, and bed friction on tidal wave deformation. Numerical tests reveal that the Coriolis force, combined with the geometry of the gulf, results in the generation of different amphidromic systems of diurnal and semidiurnal constituents. The configuration of the bathymetry of the PG, with a shallow zone at the closed end of the basin that extends along its longitudinal axis in the southern half (asymmetrical cross section), results in the deformations of incoming and returning tidal Kelvin waves and consequently the shifts of amphidromic points (APs). The bed friction also results in the movements of the APs from the centerline to the south border of the gulf.