Water exchange of Sharm Obhur, Jeddah, Red Sea

Abstract EN

The exchange of water between coastal inlets and the inner continental shelf is mainly due to astronomical, meteorological and thermohaline forces.

The relative importance of these factors depends on local tides and characteristic wind speeds.

Sharm Obhur is a shallow and narrow coastal inlet about 10 km long.

The maximum depth at the entrance is about 35 m.

It has marinas, hotels, and other tourist attractions along its periphery.

The study of water exchange is of significant importance because of sewage coming from the hotels and marinas.

Temperature and salinity vertical distribution showed that during winter at most of the stations the water column is well mixed and stratified during summer season.

The study shows that the flushing time of Sharm Obhur is about 12 days.

This time scale should be taken into account for any future constructions in Sharm Obhur to ensure the water quality.