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Numerical investigation of the interaction of the Red Sea outflow with Gulf of Aden eddies
Mehmet Ilicak, Tamay Ozgokmen
RSMAS University of Miami
(Abstract received 03/23/2009 for session X)
ABSTRACT
The Red Sea overflow reaches to the Gulf of Aden and it interacts multiple barotropic eddies coming from the Indian Ocean. A very high resolution 3D regional terrain following ocean model is employed to look at the interaction between the overflow and eddies, systematically. The model is initialized and forced by 1/12 degree HYCOM + NCODA Global Hindcast Analysis velocity and scalar fields. It is found that the overflow is mainly transported by the boundary undercurrent at the western side of the domain. However, Gulf of Aden eddies play more important roles when the overflow propagates into interior of the Gulf of Aden. At the eastern side of the domain, %60 of the overflow is transport by the shelf-attached current and the rest is transport by Gulf of Aden eddies. At the exit of the Gulf of Aden, the transport of the overflow is episodic depending strength and location of GOA eddies. The most crucial finding is that the Red Sea overflow leaves the Gulf of Aden in patches rather than one steady current. Multiple GOA eddies induce lateral stirring, thus diapycnal mixing of the Red Sea outflow.
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2009 LOM Workshop, Miami, Florida Jume 1 - 3, 2009