Acceleration of warming, deoxygenation and acidification in the Arabian
Gulf driven by weakening of summer winds
Abstract
The Arabian Gulf (AG) exports hypersaline, dense waters into the Sea of
Oman (SOO), replaced by fresher inflowing surface waters from the Indian
Ocean. We investigate the impact of recent AG warming on its exchange
with the SOO and the implications this has on the AG biogeochemistry.
Using an eddy-resolving hindcast model simulation, we analyze the
hydrography and biogeochemistry of the AG and the SOO from 1980 to 2018.
Our study reveals that changes in summer surface winds have accelerated
AG warming and weakened it in the SOO, reducing the density gradient and
water exchange between the two seas during late summer. This has led to
nutrient buildup, increased productivity, and heightened deoxygenation
and acidification in the AG. These findings underscore how subtle wind
changes can exacerbate the vulnerability of marginal seas to climate
change and stress the need to properly represent regional winds in
global climate models.