Detection coastal thermal fronts in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea using MODIS images

Abstract

Temperature fronts are important in marine studies. Sea fronts are sharp boundaries between different water masses. For this study different time series of MODIS level-3 thermal IR SST data from 2013-2014 has been processed and thermal fronts the of Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea (47.6°E to 67.7°E and 18°N to 31°N) region mapped using the method, the Canny algorithm and Gaussian filter. Monthly thermal front images of this region are mapped during the period of January 2013 to June 2014 are classified into Summer Monsoon (June, July, August, September), Winter Monsoon (October, November, December, January) and Pre Monsoon (February, March, April, May) periods and their characteristics are discussed here. The results show that high frequency of SST fronts was observed in the Oman Sea and Persian Gulf in October, November, December, January and May in 2013 year and January, November and December in 2014 year. The number of fronts increases since the beginning of winter to early spring and the beginning of fall, too. The remaining these fronts move with current toward the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean at the beginning of the summer monsoon. Sustainable and cohesive front was seen near the Arvand River in the Persian Gulf that is presents in the cold months more. This front will disappear in the months of July, August and April 2013 and 2014. The other stable front is in the Oman Sea in southern Pakistan. Most of the front are presenting in the warmer months of June, September, October in 2013 and in June, August and October in 2014.