The influence of the Kuwaiti oil well fires on seawater temperature in the western Gulf

The smoke plume from the Kuwaiti oil well fires appears to have contributed to the lowering of temperatures in nearshore waters of the western Gulf. The mean seawater temperature at Manifa Pier for the period 4 June to 10 December 1991, was 25.9°C. This compares to an overall mean temperature of 28.4°C for 1986-1990. During the period of recording for 1991, the mean temperature was 2.5°C lower than the overall daily mean for 1986-1990. The maximum difference in mean seawtaer temperatures between 1991 and 1986-1990 was 6.9°C. Total solar radiation during 1991 recorded for Rahimah, a town located about 150 km south of Manifa, was 79% of that recorded during 1990. Reduced solar radiation during 1991 may account for the depression of seawater temperatures during that year. Seawater temperature peaks generally followed or occurred during periods of ENE-SSE wind rather than during periods of more typical NNW-WNW wind. Such winds would tend to blow the smoke plume from the Kuwaiti oil well fires inland, away from the Saudi Gulf coast and allow more solar radiation to reach the sea surface.