Large eddy simulation of the Ekman transport in a stratified coastal sea: A case study of the Persian Gulf

Abstract

Ekman transport is a key factor in the coastal upwelling regimes in the northern coastal region of the Persian Gulf. In this paper, the Ocean Module of Parallelized Large-Eddy Simulation Model (PALM) was utilized so as to investigate the Ekman layer and estimate the water mass transport in the Persian Gulf for the first time. In order to take into account the effect of the topography on the Ekman transport, three experiments with the same initial and boundary conditions and different topographies were carried out. The results indicated that, in the vicinity of the shoreline and in shallow waters Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) is 10 times stronger than in the offshore area. It was concluded that in the presence of the shoreline the vertical velocity increases and in the onshore area, the upwelling speed is 3–4 times larger than in the offshore area. It was revealed that the Ekman transport reached a steady state at the end of the simulation, and reached a constant value of about 250 kg/ms. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd