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The maxima in northerly wind speeds and wave heights over the Arabian Sea, the Arabian/Persian Gulf and the Red Sea derived from 40 years of ERA5 data

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A Correction to this article was published on 05 January 2021

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Abstract

Recent studies point out the importance of northerly winds and waves in the Arabian Sea, especially those due to shamal and makran events in addition to the northeast monsoon system. We have analyzed climatology and trends of northerly maximum wind speed and significant wave height (Hs) in the Arabian Sea and the connected marginal seas, Arabian/Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, during non-monsoon season derived from 40 years of ERA5 wind and wave data, and estimated monthly, annual and decadal extreme climate and their trends. The study brings out an increasing trend in the northerly maximum wind speed (0.8–1.2 cm/s/year) and Hs (0.42–0.88 cm/year) in the southern and central Arabian Sea, which is consistent with the global trend in extreme wind speed and Hs. The northern Arabian Sea including the Sea of Oman exhibits significant decreasing trend in northerly maximum wind speed (− 1.4 cm/s/year) and Hs (− 0.67 cm/year), while the Gulf and the Red Sea exhibit sectorial contrasting trend, indicating the dominance of localized effects in modifying the regional climate. Distinct features identified in the climate and trends of northerly winds and waves are further discussed.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Hamad Al-Saad Al-Kuwari, Director, Environmental Science Center, Qatar University and Prof. Sunil K Singh, Director, National Institute of Oceanography, India for their constant encouragement and support. This work was jointly carried out under the IRCC International Research Co-Fund Collaboration Program of QU and NIO, executed through ORS, QU (IRCC-2019-002).

Funding

The project is funded under the IRCC International Research Co-Fund Collaboration Program of QU and NIO, executed through ORS, QU (IRCC-2019-002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar

    V. M. Aboobacker, Ebrahim M. A. S. Al-Ansari & P. Vethamony

  2. CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403 004, India

    P. R. Shanas & V. Sanil Kumar

Authors
  1. V. M. Aboobacker
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  2. P. R. Shanas
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  3. Ebrahim M. A. S. Al-Ansari
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  4. V. Sanil Kumar
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  5. P. Vethamony
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Contributions

VMA: monitoring the completion of the tasks assigned to the co-authors; managing discussions; analysis of the results; overall writing of the manuscript. PRS: data processing; generation of tables and figures; analysis of the results; manuscript writing. EMASA: data analysis, discussions and manuscript writing. VSK: data analysis, discussions and manuscript writing. PV: discussions and manuscript writing; correction and editing; lead project investigator of the funding project.

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Correspondence to V. M. Aboobacker.

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The data used in this study was obtained from the ECMWF data archive (https://www.cds.climate.copernicus.eu/#!/home). The processed data used in creating the plots will be made available to the Journal, upon request.

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Aboobacker, V.M., Shanas, P.R., Al-Ansari, E.M.A.S. et al. The maxima in northerly wind speeds and wave heights over the Arabian Sea, the Arabian/Persian Gulf and the Red Sea derived from 40 years of ERA5 data. Clim Dyn 56, 1037–1052 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05518-6

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