Changes in the circulation and current spectrum near the tip of the narrow, seasonally mixed Gulf of Elat

Amatzia Genin*, Nathan Paldor

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

Four years of current measurements near the northern end of the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba) revealed consistent seasonal trends. The net current along the coast was southward most of the year, with a short period (November-January) of northward flow and an abrupt reversal in early February. This pattern did not correspond with changes in the wind, which was southward over 90% of the time. A semidiurnal peak dominated the current power spectrum during summer (May-October), but was absent in February-May in spite of a year-round prevalence of a semidiurnal peak in the barotropic tide. During winter, when the water column was vertically mixed, a clear onshore (west-ward) current was observed near the surface and a return (offshore) current over the bottom. This cross-shore pattern was consistent with a wind-driven Ekman circulation. The current reversal in February remains poorly understood, while the disappearance of the semidiurnal periodicity in winter can be explained in terms of internal tides which disappear from the upper water column when it is vertically mixed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)87-92
Number of pages6
JournalIsrael Journal of Earth Sciences
Volume47
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1998

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