Seasonal Variability of Physical Structure of Water Column in the Strait of Hormuz

Jamshidi, Siamak; Yousefi, Marzieh

doi:10.22034/ijcoe.2026.507394.1142

Seasonal Variability of Physical Structure of Water Column in the Strait of Hormuz

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Siamak Jamshidi ¹

Marzieh Yousefi ²

¹ INIO

² INIOAS

10.22034/ijcoe.2026.507394.1142

Abstract

The Strait of Hormuz is a very important and strategic waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. The importance of this region is high politically, militarily and economically. In order to exploit this area, it is necessary to fully understand its surface and subsurface waters in terms of oceanography. The investigations' findings reveal the presence of a permanent thermocline layer in the northern areas of the Oman Sea (adjacent to the Strait), leading to a reduction in sound wave propagation by over 25-30 m/s. In contrast, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz experience the formation of a thermocline layer solely during the warm season, resulting in the creation of a weak sound channel near the seabed. It is important to highlight that across all surveyed regions, the speed of sound wave propagation is significantly influenced by temperature variations, and vertical structure of the water masses in the strait.

Keywords

Marginal Sea

Continental Shelf

Stratification

Sea Properties

Sound speed

Subjects