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Aboobacker, V.M.; Abdulla, C.P.; Al-Ansari, E.M.A.S., and Vethamony, P., 2024. Impacts of shamal and nashi winds on the hydrodynamics along the northeast coast of Qatar, central Arabian Gulf. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 609-613. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The Arabian Gulf (hereafter the “Gulf”), a semi-enclosed basin with a maximum depth of 100 m, is connected to the Sea of Oman through the Strait of Hormuz. The seawater properties of the Gulf are nearly stable due to the exchange between the Sea of Oman and Gulf induced by the wind-driven surface inflow and the density-driven deepwater outflow. The currents in the Gulf were broadly studied, however, the characteristics of nearshore currents in the Qatar waters have not been investigated so far. This study presents the typical features identified from the measurements at a nearshore location along the east coast of Qatar, namely off Fuwairit (northeast cost; 7m depth). The analysis reveals that the northwesterly shamal and easterly nashi winds have significant role in the hydrodynamic circulation along the east coast of Qatar. During shamal events, the southeasterly/east-southeasterly flow was enhanced, while the north-westerly flow was diminished, since the wind-induced flow was followed the tidal ebb flows, and the opposite was true during flood flows. When the shamal was very strong, it has even nullified the tidal flows. A continuous south-eastward flow for a period of 48 hours have been identified during such an event. During strongest nashi winds, the northwestward flow off Fuwairit has been enhanced, while the southeastward flow has been diminished. The surface winds obtained from ERA5 and the surface currents obtained from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Services (CMEMS) has been used to further elaborate on the shamal and nashi wind effects on the Gulf circulation.

Aboobacker, V.M; Hasna, V.M.; Al-Ansari, E.M.A.S., and Vethamony, P., 2024. Nearshore hydrography along the coast of Doha, central Arabian Gulf. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 422-426. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar has undergone substantial growth in population and infrastructure in the past few decades. Extensive land reclamation has resulted in changes in coastal morphology, especially on Doha Bay, the Pearl and the Lusail. Doha Bay is a semi-enclosed water body in the central east coast of Qatar. The characteristics of hydrography in the Doha Bay and adjacent regions are not well studied. This study presents the analysis of temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and chlorophyll-a collected off Doha (<15 m depth locations; 7 stations in all seasons; 4 other stations in 2 latest seasons) during October 2021, December 2021, June 2022 (pre-FIFA-2022), and March 2023 (post-FIFA-2022) using SeaBird CTD. The analysis reveals that the seasonal variations in temperature, salinity, density, DO and pH are statistically significant, while the horizontal variations are not significant. The chlorophyll-a has significant horizontal variability, while seasonal variability is not significant. There are four outfalls in Doha Bay, which discharges non-storm waters including groundwaters in limited quantity (0.114-1.241 m3/s). However, the changes in hydrographic parameters in the vicinity of the outfalls are marginal, except for DO. This has been verified when analysed the parameters during pre-FIFA-2022 (with discharges) and post-FIFA-2022 (no discharges) conditions. The sea surface temperature off Doha ranges from 27.8-29.0°C, 22.5-23.7°C, 28.0-29.2°C and 20.6-22.2°C, respectively, during the four seasons. The sea surface salinity ranges 39.3-40.6, 39.4-40.3, 37.3-39.2 and 40.6-42.0, respectively. The lowest salinity is obtained during summer, while the highest is obtained during winter; the latter is due to the relatively higher evaporation induced by winter shamal winds. The DO ranges 5.9-6.4, 6.5-6.8, 5.9-6.7 and 7-7.3 mg/l, respectively. The temporary closure of outfalls during FIFA-2022 has resulted in significant increase in DO, in addition to the well-mixing due to winter shamal winds. The pH ranges 7.80-7.90, 7.97-8.02, 7.86-7.99 and 7.70-7.77, respectively. The chlorophyll-a ranges 0.22-0.91, 0.17-1.45, 0.15-1.69 and 0.22-1.0 µg/l, respectively.

Exploitation of conventional energy resources has caused a deliberate increase in the emitted carbon in the atmosphere, which catalyzes global warming trends. This is a matter of concern, especially in Qatar, where fossil fuels (oil and gas) are largely relied upon for power production. The dependency on such resources could be gradually reduced by utilizing clean and renewable energy. Resource characterization is an important step to evaluate the potentiality of available renewable energy sources. Wind energy is one among them, which has not been assessed reliably so far in Qatar. We analyzed the wind energy potential along the onshore and offshore areas of Qatar using 40 years (1979–2018) of hourly wind data extracted from the ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) database. Monthly, seasonal, annual, and decadal mean wind power densities have been derived. Reliability tests have been carried out at select onshore and offshore locations. Trends and inter-annual variability have been assessed. The study reveals that the available wind resources are generally moderate but consistent with no intense trends during the 40 year period. An inter-annual variability in wind power has been identified, which has secured links with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Dust storms are common in arid and semi-dry lands, and the severity and frequency of dust activities have increased considerably through recent years in the Middle East region. The study aims to analyze the correlation among dust emissions and Shamal winds in Iraq. In this study meteorological data and remote sensing techniques (HYSPLIT model, MODIS satellite, and AOD) are applied to achieve this aim. A dust emission associated with Shamal winds over Iraq on 13 May 2023 showed potential dust sources were from Al-Jazeera and Western Deserts in Iraq as well as the Syrian Desert. Dust emissions from Syria and Iraq and the predominant transfer routes of dust events in Iraq are generally controlled by Shamal winds (north - northwest) according to the HYSPLIT back pathways. Wind direction and speed data analysis provided some proof to refer likely adjacent and local origins for dust based on the weather map. During this severe dust storm the AOD values from the Aqua - Terra sensors by MODIS satellite were high. The maximum PM10 concentration exceed 500 μg/m 3 in Baghdad around 12:00 PM on 13 May 2023.

This research investigates the present status and decadal variability of element distributions in the marine sediments off Doha, on the east coast of Qatar. Twenty elements were considered from 11 sediment sampling stations and 3 dust sampling stations by grouping them into major elements, toxic elements, and other trace elements. The results show elevated concentrations of certain toxic and trace elements, including Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, V, Zn, Mg, and Ti, in the nearshore region, primarily influenced by the settling of dissolved elements under weak hydrodynamic circulations in the Doha Bay. The relatively higher currents in offshore enable quick advection and dispersion of the elements. On the other hand, the dust deposits have caused significant contributions to the Al, As, Mg, Ca, Sr, Fe, Zn, and Cd concentrations. Decadal variability is evident in element concentrations, which are linked to the urbanisation of the capital city in the State of Qatar. The Cu, Ni, V, Zn, and Cd concentrations indicate a notable increase in recent years compared to the last two decades, with values of about 20.7, 17.9, 25.0, 25.9, 0.66 ppm in 2022. In contrast, a few other elements fluctuate between the decades/years. The results pointed out the increased elemental concentrations in the bay due to the vast expansion of infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of Doha Bay in recent years. The Geoaccumulation Index resulted in a slight pollution of Cd, while other elements are unpolluted. The Degree of Contamination reveals low degree of contamination of sediments, and the Pollution Load Index illustrates no significant pollution in the sediments off Doha.

Wave data collected off Ratnagiri, Goa and Dwarka along the west coast of India during winter season (NE monsoon and early pre‐monsoon) present distinct wave characteristics with periodicity ranging between 2 and 5 days associated with shamal events. The notable wave characteristics during these events are: an increase in wave height, decrease in swell period and a common propagation direction (northwest) for wind sea and swell. IFREMER/CERSAT blended winds clearly show the presence of strong northwesterly winds in the Arabian Peninsula and northwestern Arabian Sea, which are associated with the winter shamal events. The winds during such events generate large northwesterly swells (shamal swells) in the northwestern Arabian Sea and propagate towards the west coast of India in the NW direction with mean periods ranging between 6 and 8 s. Numerical simulations reproduce the shamal swells over the Arabian Sea, and they can be traced all along the west coast of India, however, with lesser order of magnitude from north to south. Generation and propagation of shamal swells and their influence along the west coast of India have been described.

Dust storms create some of the most critical air quality problems in the world; the Middle East, located in the dust belt, suffers substantially from dust storms. Iran, as a country in the Middle East, is affected by dust storms from multiple internal and external sources that mostly originate from deserts in Iraq and Syria (especially the Mesopotamia region). To determine the highest dust loadings in the south and west of Iran, dust frequencies were investigated in the eight most polluted stations in the west, southwest, and southern Iran for a period of 21 years from 2000 to 2021. During the study’s duration, the dust frequency was much higher from 2008 to 2012, which coincided with severe droughts reported in Iraq and Syria; from which, we investigated two severe dust storms (as well as the dust sources and weather condition effects) that took place on 15–17 September 2008 and 1–3 June 2012; we used secondary data from ground measurement stations, and satellite and modeling products. In both cases, horizontal visibility was reduced to less than 1 km at most weather stations in Iran. The measured PM10 in the first case reached 834 μg m−3 at Ilam station in west Iran and the Iran–Iraq borders while the measured PM10 in the second case reached 4947 μg m−3 at Bushehr station in the northern shore of the Persian Gulf. The MODIS true color images and MODIS AOD detected the dust mass over Iraq, southern Iran, and Saudi Arabia in both cases; the AOD value reached 4 in the first case and 1.8 in the second case over the Persian Gulf. During these two severe dust storms, low-level jets were observed at 930 hPa atmospheric levels in north Iraq (2008 case) and south Iraq (2012 case). The output of the NAPPS model and CALIPSO satellite images show that the dust rose to higher than 5 km in these dust storm cases, confirming the influence of Shamal wind on the dust storm occurrences.

The third-generation wave model, WAVEWATCH III, was employed to simulate bulk wave parameters in the Persian Gulf using three different wind sources: ERA-Interim, CCMP, and GFS-Analysis. Different formulations for whitecapping term and the energy transfer from wind to wave were used, namely the Tolman and Chalikov (J Phys Oceanogr 26:497–518, 1996 ), WAM cycle 4 (BJA and WAM4), and Ardhuin et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 40(9):1917–1941, 2010 ) (TEST405 and TEST451 parameterizations) source term packages. The obtained results from numerical simulations were compared to altimeter-derived significant wave heights and measured wave parameters at two stations in the northern part of the Persian Gulf through statistical indicators and the Taylor diagram. Comparison of the bulk wave parameters with measured values showed underestimation of wave height using all wind sources. However, the performance of the model was best when GFS-Analysis wind data were used. In general, when wind veering from southeast to northwest occurred, and wind speed was high during the rotation, the model underestimation of wave height was severe. Except for the Tolman and Chalikov (J Phys Oceanogr 26:497–518, 1996 ) source term package, which severely underestimated the bulk wave parameters during stormy condition, the performances of other formulations were practically similar. However, in terms of statistics, the Ardhuin et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 40(9):1917–1941, 2010 ) source terms with TEST405 parameterization were the most successful formulation in the Persian Gulf when compared to in situ and altimeter-derived observations.

Anoop, T.R.; Sheela Nair, L.; Prasad, R.; Reji, S.; Ramachandran, K.K.; Prakash, T.N., and Balakrishnan Nair, T.M., 2020. Locally and remotely generated wind waves in the southwestern shelf sea of India. In: Sheela Nair, L.; Prakash, T.N.; Padmalal, D., and Kumar Seelam, J. (eds.), Oceanic and Coastal Processes of the Indian Seas. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 89, pp. 77-83. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The Southwestern Shelf Sea (SWSS) of India has a distinct wave pattern, which makes it different as compared to the adjoining regions. Wave directional spectra during the monsoon season are comparatively broader and double peaked in contrast to that of the western shelf sea. The well-defined directional bi-modality is observed during the south west monsoon which is attributed to the coexistence of the south Indian Ocean swells and the southwest monsoon swells. The shamal swells generated by the shamal wind blowing from the Arabian Peninsula are found to have a significant influence on the wave pattern of the SWSS. In addition, the local sea breeze/land breeze also contributes significantly to the observed changes, particularly to the diurnal variation. A distinct phase lag in occurrence of the maximum significant wave height for the wind sea component is also observed in the northern region of the SWSS during the fair seasons.

Being in vicinity of vast deserts, the west and southwest of Iran are characterized by high levels of dust events, which have adverse consequences on human health, ecosystems, and environment. Using ground based dataset of dust events in western Iran and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the atmospheric circulation patterns of dust events in the Arabian region and west of Iran are identified. The atmospheric circulation patterns which lead to dust events in the Arabian region and western Iran were classified into two main categories: the Shamal dust events that occurs in warm period of year and the frontal dust events as cold period pattern. In frontal dust events, the western trough or blocking pattern at mid-level leads to frontogenesis, instability, and air uplift at lower levels of troposphere in the southwest of Asia. Non-frontal is other pattern of dust event in the cold period and dust generation are due to the regional circulation systems at the lower level of troposphere. In Shamal wind pattern, the Saudi Arabian anticyclone, Turkmenistan anticyclone, and Zagros thermal low play the key roles in formation of this pattern. Summer and transitional patterns are two sub-categories of summer Shamal wind pattern. In summer trough pattern, the mid-tropospheric trough leads to intensify the surface thermal systems in the Middle East and causes instability and rising of wind speed in the region. In synthetic pattern of Shamal wind and summer trough, dust is created by the impact of a trough in mid-levels of troposphere as well as existing the mentioned regional systems which are contributed in formation of summer Shamal wind pattern.