Behaviour of surface atmospheric flow passing over the northeast of the Persian Gulf

Abstract

The most prominent features of the annual and seasonal atmospheric flow have been recognized over the eight coastal sites in the north east of the Persian Gulf. Six to 10 year hourly recorded data of wind vectors from eight synoptic stations, located in Hormozgan Province in Iran, were analysed. The wind rose diagrams have been plotted to show the distribution of wind direction experienced at each station during the available data period. The results of the study showed that all through the year the wind direction in the west part of the area was predominately westerly. However, there were also some significant differences and exceptions, which have been investigated and discussed in this article. In the spring and summer, Bandar Abbas had a southerly prevailing wind. The considerable difference between summer wind pattern in Jask and other stations showed that Jask was much more influenced by monsoon than other stations. Investigation of diurnal wind properties indicated formation of reversing flow during the daytime in Lengeh, Bandar Abbas and Jask. Among all stations, diurnal changes of wind direction and, thus, presence of the sea and land breeze, were observed only in Lengeh, Bandar Abbas and Jask. The spatial configurations, diurnal reversal of wind and variation of wind speed frequency distribution over those three sites accorded well with the theory of the sea and land breeze circulation. © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society.