By Lighthouse

Muscat, Oman – Prof. Steven DiMarco and Dr. Matthew Howard from Texas A&M University delivered a presentation on observations and modeling results of Cyclone Gonu in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. This cyclone caused extensive damage along the Oman coast during the summer of 2007. The presentation took place at The Chedi Resort.

The physical response of the ocean during the passage of the cyclone was captured by a monitoring system that uses fiber optic cable and power supplied from a shore facility. This unique system allows for reliable, real-time data acquisition without bandwidth or power limitations. The system is designed, owned and maintained by Lighthouse R & D Enterprises, Inc., and is supported in Oman by the Ministry of Fisheries Wealth.

The presentation emphasized the success of the Lighthouse monitoring system in capturing the ocean’s response to the cyclone. Key findings are: the ocean responded on two time scales including 3-4 day and 16 day oscillations; the cyclone influenced temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels, in addition to both the horizontal and vertical structure of the water column; model results from the Lighthouse system indicate coastal Kelvin and topographic Rossby waves are present. “This is the first time that such oceanographic variability has been observed in the northwest Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman” says Prof. DiMarco.

See http://www.lighthousehouston.com for additional information on Lighthouse R & D Enterprises, Inc.

Lighthouse R & D Enterprises, Inc. focuses on the research and development of technical applications for the marine environment and sources innovative ideas and technical breakthroughs that can be applied or modified to support the acquisition of reliable time-series data using the latest advances in technology.