Satellite altimetry reveals 6-month seasonal phase difference and post-2000 IOD linkages in Arabian–Oman Gulf sea level communication

The major settlements along the coastal areas of the Arabian and the Oman Gulf are vulnerable to sea level rise. Therefore, studying sea level variability cannot only assist in understanding the local ocean dynamics but also provide valuable insight that can support the planning and management of coastal infrastructure. In this research, I use all the available satellite altimetry data (January 1993–December 2023) and evaluate the sea level variability along the entire profile, which covers both the Arabian and Oman Gulfs and delineates both short-period (seasonal) and long-period (trend) components using the Hodrick‒Prescott filter. Analysis of the seasonal component indicates an inverse sea level rise and fall relationship between the Arabian and Oman Gulfs, with a phase difference of 6 months. As the sea level starts to decrease, it increases, indicating an association and weakening the conventional argument that the Arabian Gulf’s sea level dynamics are not related to external water bodies, particularly the Oman Gulf. The long-term trend component varies both in space and time, suggesting the influence of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IDP) on the Arabian Gulf in the post-2000 period.