Simulation of 3D Summer Circulation in the Red Sea

A high-resolution numerical model called Delft3D (5 km resolution) forced with realistic high-frequency atmospheric conditions was set up to describe the circulation pattern in the Red Sea basin. The validation of the model was performed considering several tide gauge data, the SST of AVHRR/Pathfinder, and the available literature. The model outcomes show that the general circulation pattern in the Red Sea is dominated by energetic anticyclonic eddies consistent with observations in terms of both size and magnitude. We conducted two scenarios of numerical experiments considering thermohaline and wind forcing to investigate the main driving mechanism of the circulation patterns. When simulated using full forcing (wind and thermohaline), the wind forcing experiment mostly reproduces the circulation patterns. On the other hand, thermohaline forcing generates weaker circulation patterns with cyclonic eddy dominance. The model effectively replicates the reversal of the three-layer exchange flow system at the Bab el Mandeb Strait, which is enhanced by both wind and thermohaline forcing. The simulation indicates that subsurface inflow deflects along the eastern coastline of the southern part of the Red Sea.