Study of the Physical Oceanographic Properties of the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman Based on PG-GOOS CTD Measurements

The present study covers the results from the CTD observations of the PG-GOOS cruises. CTD profiles were collected in eight cruises at 169 stations, from fall 2012 to the late summer 2013. Spatial and temporal distributions of the temperature, salinity and density were investigated. In summer, water column at deep stations was strongly stratified and at shallow stations water column was moderately well-mixed. The coincidence of surface heating resulted in the strength of summer stratification. Increasing in temperature and particularly salinity near the bottom in southern stations of the Strait of Hormuz indicated trace of the Persian Gulf Water outflow. Strong and weak thermocline layers are formed in summer (Δ􀜶 􀵎 12􀔨) and winter in deep stations (Δ􀜶 􀵎 6􀔨), respectively. T-S diagrams at deep part of the Strait of Hormuz showed two water masses i.e. the Indian Ocean Surface Water (IOSW) inflow to the Persian Gulf and Persian Gulf outflow dense water. The movement of scatter plots along temperature and salinity axes indicated the influence of the seasonal variations of the Indian Ocean Surface Water (IOSW). The results of this project are the most historically magnificent oceanographic survey of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman with wide range of applications.