Heat and salt storages in the offshore water of the Red Sea

Abstract

The seasonal changes of heat and salt storages in the offshore water of the Red Sea were studied using a historical data collected from different cruises during the period from 1924 to 1998. The heat storage within water column of different depths exhibits a seasonal variability. The heat storage is low during winter and high during summer. Also, the heat storage increases from north to south. The maximum values of heat storage are found in the southern central part of the Red Sea. It reached about 29.9x109 J/m2 within the water column of 300m depth. The seasonal change of heat storage from the annual mean is negative during winter and spring, while it is positive during summer and autumn. It has higher values during winter and summer, while its value decreased during spring and autumn. The salt storage within the water column decreases from north to south. The maximum values are observed at extremely northern Red Sea, while the minimum ones are found at extremely southern Red Sea, near Bab-El-Mandab Strait. The maximum value of salt storage within the water column of 300m depth reaches about 12.59 ton/m2 during summer. The salt storage differs slightly from one season to another. The maximum values of salt storage are observed during summer in the northern regions of the Red Sea, while they are found in the southern regions during winter. The seasonal changes of salt storage from the annual mean vary between -110 kg/m2 and 100 kg/m2.