Regional Hydrological Cycle over the Red Sea in ERA-Interim

Zolina, Olga; Dufour, Ambroise; Gulev, Sergey; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.

doi:10.1175/jhm-d-16-0048.1

Cited by 28 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…We use daily-average fields computed from hourly average outputs to smooth the strong diurnal cycle associated with the Red Sea land-sea breezes (Churchill et al, 2014;Davis et al, 2015;Zolina et al, 2017). We use daily-average fields computed from hourly average outputs to smooth the strong diurnal cycle associated with the Red Sea land-sea breezes (Churchill et al, 2014;Davis et al, 2015;Zolina et al, 2017).…”

Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MERRA-2 has higher spatial and temporal resolutions than the satellite-based OAFlux surface heat fluxes (1 • × 1 • ) used in several studies in the Red Sea (e.g., Abualnaja et al, 2015;Bower & Farrar, 2015;Papadopoulos et al, 2013; and has a slightly better spatial resolution than the ERA-Interim reanalysis analyzed by, for example, Zolina et al (2017), who investigated the Red Sea regional hydrological cycle. MERRA-2 has higher spatial and temporal resolutions than the satellite-based OAFlux surface heat fluxes (1 • × 1 • ) used in several studies in the Red Sea (e.g., Abualnaja et al, 2015;Bower & Farrar, 2015;Papadopoulos et al, 2013; and has a slightly better spatial resolution than the ERA-Interim reanalysis analyzed by, for example, Zolina et al (2017), who investigated the Red Sea regional hydrological cycle.…”

Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The MERRA-2 outputs are spatially interpolated to a longitude-latitude grid of 0.625 • × 0.5 • . We use daily-average fields computed from hourly average outputs to smooth the strong diurnal cycle associated with the Red Sea land-sea breezes (Churchill et al, 2014;Davis et al, 2015;Zolina et al, 2017). The following MERRA-2 surface fields are analyzed: evaporation and precipitation rates, latent and sensible heat fluxes, 10-m vector winds, SLP, and air surface temperature.…”

Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This salty water mass escapes to the Indian Ocean, where it can be traced at intermediate depths as far as the Agulhas Current and the Agulhas Return Current at about 40 • S (Beal et al, 2000;Roman & Lutjeharms, 2007You, 1998). The intense evaporation is also an important source of moisture for the arid Middle-East, influencing the regional hydrological cycle and the precipitation over the adjacent countries (Zolina et al, 2017). Hence, local air-sea interaction processes in the interior of the northern Red Sea can have large-scale impacts in both the atmosphere and ocean.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evaporation rates increase northward in the Red Sea and are stronger in winter (boreal seasons, hereafter; e.g., Eshel & Heavens, 2007;Papadopoulos et al, 2013;Sofianos et al, 2002;Tragou et al, 1999;Zolina et al, 2017). Based on a unique 2-year-long record of latent surface heat flux derived from in situ observations, Bower and Farrar (2015) describe local evaporation rates at 22 • N (central Red Sea) varying from 1 m/year in summer to 3 m/year in winter with peaks exceeding 5 m/year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

2019

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We investigate the impacts of westward wind events on the Red Sea evaporation using the 35‐year second Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis and a 2‐year‐long record of in situ observations from a heavily instrumented air‐sea interaction mooring. These events are common during boreal winter, and their effects are similar to cold‐air outbreaks that occur in midpolar and subpolar latitudes. They cause extreme heat loss from the sea, which is dominated by latent heat fluxes. Different from cold‐air outbreaks, the intensified heat loss is due to the low relative humidity as we show through latent heat flux decomposition. Rainfall is negligible during these events, and we refer to them as dry‐air outbreaks. We also investigate the general atmospheric circulation pattern that favors their occurrence, which is associated with an intensified Arabian High at the north‐central portion of the Arabian Peninsula—a feature that seems to be an extension of the Siberian High. The analyses reveal that the westward winds over the northern Red Sea and the winter Shamal winds in the Persian Gulf are very likely to be part of the same subsynoptic‐scale feature. The second Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis indicates that the occurrence of westward wind events over the northern Red Sea has grown from 1980 to 2015, especially the frequency of large‐scale events, the cause of which is to be investigated. We hypothesize that dry‐air outbreaks may induce surface water mass transformation in the surface Red Sea Eastern Boundary Current and could represent a significant process for the oceanic thermohaline‐driven overturning circulation.

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Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Merra-2mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

2019

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Regional Effects of the Mount Pinatubo Eruption on the Middle East and the Red Sea

Osipov

Stenchikov

2017

JGR Oceans

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The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo had dramatic effects on the regional climate in the Middle East. Though acknowledged, these effects have not been thoroughly studied. To fill this gap and to advance understanding of the mechanisms that control variability in the Middle East's regional climate, we simulated the impact of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using a regional coupled ocean‐atmosphere modeling system set for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) domain. We used the Coupled Ocean‐Atmosphere‐Wave‐Sediment Transport (COAWST) framework, which couples the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) model with the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). We modified the WRF model to account for the radiative effect of volcanic aerosols. Our coupled ocean‐atmosphere simulations verified by available observations revealed strong perturbations in the energy balance of the Red Sea, which drove thermal and circulation responses. Our modeling approach allowed us to separate changes in the atmospheric circulation caused by the impact of the volcano from direct regional radiative cooling from volcanic aerosols. The atmospheric circulation effect was significantly stronger than the direct volcanic aerosols effect. We found that the Red Sea response to the Pinatubo eruption was stronger and qualitatively different from that of the global ocean system. Our results suggest that major volcanic eruptions significantly affect the climate in the Middle East and the Red Sea and should be carefully taken into account in assessments of long‐term climate variability and warming trends in MENA and the Red Sea.

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Simulating the Regional Impact of Dust on the Middle East Climate and the Red Sea

Osipov

Stenchikov

2018

JGR Oceans

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The Red Sea is located between North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the largest sources of dust in the world. Satellite retrievals show very high aerosol optical depth in the region, which increases during the summer season, especially over the southern Red Sea. Previously estimated and validated radiative effect from dust is expected to have a profound thermal and dynamic impact on the Red Sea, but that impact has not yet been studied or evaluated. Due to the strong dust radiative effect at the sea surface, uncoupled ocean modeling approaches with prescribed atmospheric boundary conditions result in an unrealistic ocean response. Therefore, to study the impact of dust on the regional climate of the Middle East and the Red Sea, we employed the Regional Ocean Modeling System fully coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model. We modified the atmospheric model to account for the radiative effect of dust. The simulations show that, in the equilibrium response, dust cools the Red Sea, reduces the surface wind speed, and weakens both the exchange at the Bab‐el‐Mandeb strait and the overturning circulation. The salinity distribution, freshwater, and heat budgets are significantly altered. A validation of the simulations against satellite products indicates that accounting for radiative effect from dust almost completely removes the bias and reduces errors in the top of the atmosphere fluxes and sea surface temperature. Our results suggest that dust plays an important role in the energy balance, thermal, and circulation regimes in the Red Sea.

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Regional Hydrological Cycle over the Red Sea in ERA-Interim

Cited by 28 publications

References 74 publications

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

Evaporative Implications of Dry‐Air Outbreaks Over the Northern Red Sea

Regional Effects of the Mount Pinatubo Eruption on the Middle East and the Red Sea

Simulating the Regional Impact of Dust on the Middle East Climate and the Red Sea

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