Statistical techniques analysis of SST and SLP in the Persian Gulf

Thirty-four years of data (1967–2000) are used to investigate the variability pattern relevant to air–sea interaction in the Persian Gulf. The patterns are derived using statistical techniques, such as empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and singular value decomposition (SVD). Statistical analysis methods are applied to determine the coupled modes of variability of monthly sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP). The significant of the air–sea interaction is found by a strong resemblance between EOF and SVD eigenvectors and expansion coefficients of SST and SLP. We find that the four leading EOF patterns of SST together account for 99.8% of the total monthly SST variance and 94.4% of the SLP variance. The zero contour in the first SST EOF identified the front which separates the Persian Gulf cyclonic gyres.