Characteristics of the tidal wave in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair Channels, Northwest of the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

The characteristics of the tidal wave propagates along Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair were studied based on comprehensive field measurements of water level at three locations by using harmonic tidal model. The results revealed that there is a gradual increase in the amplitude of tidal wave when it propagates towards an inland direction due to the convergence nature of the study area. Also, the results of harmonic analysis led to estimate 28 tidal constituents that contribute to water level fluctuations, and M₂ was the main contributor, followed by K₁, S₂, O₁, and N₂, and the astronomical tide is responsible for about 96% of these variations. The ratio between the amplitudes of the principle diurnal to the principle semi-diurnal constituents gave the tide a form number of 0.68, 0.48 and 0.44 in Khor Abdullah, Umm Qasar and Khor Al-Zubair port stations, respectively. Hence the tide is characterized by mixed, predominantly semi-diurnal. Based on the tidal wave deformation due to the nonlinear tidal interactions, the study area is classified as a flood dominant which suffers from a continuous deterioration in their depths. The results provide useful information for understanding the general behavior of tidal wave and will be significant in the future assessments of coastal developments in this region.