Tidal Wave Amplification and Phase Shift from the Entrance of Khor Abdullah to the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator, Northern Arabian Gulf Ali A. Lafta, Faez Y. Aleedani, Abather J. Alhallaf An Najah University Journal for Research A Natural Sciences, 2026 This study investigates tidal-wave amplification and phase shift along a propagation path from the northern Arabian Gulf to the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator (Basrah Province, southern Iraq). We analyze a continuous one-year (2022) record of hourly water-level measurements from two stations located at the entrance of Khor Abdullah and at the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator. Harmonic analysis was performed using the MATLAB WorldTide toolbox for tidal and tidal-current analysis and prediction. Results show a northward increase in maximum water level, accompanied by progressive amplification of tidal-wave amplitude and an increase in tidal range. At the regulator, the maximum water level is approximately 0.5 m higher than at the Khor Abdullah entrance. Among the resolved constituents, the principal lunar semidiurnal constituent (M2) has the largest amplitude at both stations and increases by ~100% between them. A phase lag of 52.19° (≈108 min) indicates that high tide at the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator occurs nearly two hours later than at the entrance to Khor Abdullah. These findings provide insight into tidal-wave transformation in the northern Arabian Gulf and may help improve navigation safety, coastal infrastructure planning, and studies of sediment dynamics in the region.
Temporal Variability of Atmospheric Elements in Iraq Marine Water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf Ali Abdulridha Lafta, Adel J. Al-Fartusi, Sadiq S. Abdullah Ilmu Kelautan Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences, 2025 An understanding of climate variability in coastal regions is essential for several aspects of maritime activities in such systems. Even though fluctuations in atmospheric parameters have been widely recorded in a number of Arabian Gulf locations, such variations in the Iraq marine waters are not well understood. This study looked at the atmospheric parameters (atmospheric pressure AP, wind field, air temperature AT) measured between 2017 and 2022 off the coast of Iraq's marine water to estimate the temporal variation of these parameters. However, the results revealed that these parameters vary annually and seasonally. The limitations of AP are alternately at their peak and lowest throughout the winter and summer seasons, respectively. The maximum AP recorded during the study period was 1030.80, while the minimum AP was 989.04 mbar. The AT was at its lowest and highest during the winter and summer, respectively. Correspondingly, the winter wind speeds are lower than the summer wind speeds. Higher wind speeds are frequently caused by the shamal (northwest) wind. However, during the study period, the highest recorded wind speed was 19.9 m.sec-1. Correspondingly, AP oscillates more notably in the winter and spring and less notably in the summer and autumn, while AT oscillates more frequently and over a larger frequency range in the autumn and spring and less frequently in the summer and winter, according to our data. These results can be useful for future developments along the entire coastline of the region in terms of coastal constructions and coastal protection strategies.
Numerical assessment of Karun river influence on salinity intrusion in the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary, northwest of Arabian Gulf Ali A. Lafta Applied Water Science, 2022 The influence of Karun river inflow on salinity intrusion from the Arabian Gulf towards the upper reaches of the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary was evaluated by using Mike11, a one-dimensional numerical modeling technique. The simulations results indicated that, during the moderate and low flow conditions of the Shatt Al-Arab river, freshwater inflow from Karun river at 10 and 40 m3/s, respectively, could be capable of keeping salinity extent to not exceeded the confluence location of these two rivers. Additionally, the results indicated that in the case of a sharp decline of Karun river inflow, additional releasing of freshwater from the Tigris river can completely compensate for the Karun inflow. While in the case of cut off of Tigris river, the Karun inflow in the range of 60 m3/s could be able to keep salinity extent beyond the Abo Flous station during the simulation period. Furthermore, the possibility of discharging water with high levels of salinity from the farming projects located at the lower basin of Karun river towards the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary was taken into account. In such cases, the results suggested that during low and moderate flow conditions, freshwater inflow by about 250 and 225 m3/s, respectively, should be released from the Karun river to remains salinity extent below the Abo Flous location. A water management policy agreement between Iraq and Iran could be an effective solution to the salinity issue both in the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary as well as Karun river.
Influence of atmospheric forces on sea-surface fluctuations in Iraq marine water, northwest of Arabian Gulf Ali Abdulridha Lafta Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021 This study examines the response of a sea-surface at the Iraq marine water to changes in local meteorological elements [atmospheric pressure (AP), air temperature (AT), and wind field]. Harmonic analysis was conducted to extract the tidal part and nontidal part [meteorological tide or residual water level (RWL)] from the original water level data. The results showed relative changes in the meteorological tide between the seasons. The changes in the meteorological tide throughout the year correlated well with the changes in local meteorological forces. The statistical analysis results for RWL daily averages revealed that the annual range reaches 1.08 m with the maximum and minimum limits in summer and winter, respectively. The spectral analysis results indicated that the annual cycle of RWL accounts for only 21% of the total variance. Moreover, the variations in AP and AT strongly corresponded with their annual cycles. For wind stress components, the annual cycle in their spectrum was insignificant since the highest variance percentage coincided with other cycles, particularly with their high-band frequencies range. The regression analysis showed that during winter, the variations in RWL are mainly attributed to changes in AP, cross-shore wind stress (CSWS), and along-shore wind stress (ASWS), whereas during spring, the RWL variations are due to changes in CSWS, ASWS, and AP. Furthermore, in summer, the RWL variations are attributed to changes in AP, AT, and ASWS, whereas in autumn, the variations in the RWL are because of changes in AP, ASWS, and CSWS. Therefore, the results obtained could be beneficial for various activities in this important region of the Arabian Gulf.
ESTIMATION OF TIDAL EXCURSION LENGTH ALONG THE SHATT Al-ARAB ESTUARY, SOUTHERN IRAQ Ali Abdulridha Lafta Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology, 2021 The tidal excursion length along the Shatt Al-Arab estuary was estimated based on the mathematical relation proposed by Parsa and Shahidi (2010). The field measurements of water level, bathymetry, and discharges were conducted to fulfill the objective of the study. The results revealed that the tidal excursion length is site-specific and depends on the characteristics of location which include tidal phases, bathymetry, and geometry. However, the results indicated that there are pronounced differences in tidal excursions lengths between the spring and neap tide phases in all studies stations. The spring tide coincided with the maximum tidal excursion lengths in Shatt Al-Arab estuary with 16.537, 16.187, 11.122, and 9.139 km in the estuary mouth, Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively. While the neap tidal excursion lengths were 12.298, 9.254, and 7.269 km in Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively.
Tidal Wave Amplification and Phase Shift from the Entrance of Khor Abdullah to the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator, Northern Arabian Gulf FYAAJA Ali A. Lafta An-Najah University Journal for Research – A Natural Sciences , 2026 2026
Predicting sea level variations for early warning using SARIMA model and deep learning techniques in the northwest Arabian Gulf AJB Alhallaf, J Vilcáez, P Rudra, AA Lafta Discover Geoscience 3 (1), 158 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Temporal Variability of Atmospheric Elements in Iraq Marine Water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta, AJ Al-Fartusi, SS Abdullah ILMU KELAUTAN: Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences 30 (3), 321-328 , 2025 2025
Hydrodynamic characteristics of Khor Al-Zubair Channel, Southern Iraq AAL Abdullah Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology 25 (1), 103–112 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Temporal Variability of Sea Surface Temperature in Iraq Marine Water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf. AA Lafta, SS Abdullah ILMU KELAUTAN: Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences 30 (1), 145-152 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
QUANTIFYING THE LEVEL OF EROSION-INDUCED HAZARD ON RIVERBANK WR MUTTASHAR, UQ AL-WHAELY, DSB ALMAYAHI, MA HUSSEIN, ... NATURAL HAZARDS , 2025 2025
Impact of a Proposed Barrage on the Tidal Wave Characteristics and Salinity Distribution in the Shatt Al-Arab River Estuary AA Lafta, SS Abdullah Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 39 (1), 93-106 , 2024 2024
Proposed treatment to reduce salinity intrusion into the Shatt Al-Arab estuary by using temporary storage in a convergent of channel in the context of tide A Bassal Mahmood, S Salim Abdullah, A Abdulridha Lafta International Journal of River Basin Management 22 (1), 89-100 , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
General characteristics of tidal currents in the entrance of Khor Abdullah, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Oceanologia 65 (3), 494-502 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
The impact of buildup proposed barrage on tidal hydrodynamics in the Shatt Al-Arab River, South of Iraq SS Abdullah, AJ Al-Fartousi, AA Lafta Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 38 (1), 33-46 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
General characteristics of surface waves in Iraq marine water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf AJAF Ali A. Lafta Arabian Journal of Geosciences , 2022 2022 Citations: 9
Numerical assessment of Karun river influence on salinity intrusion in the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Applied Water Science 12 (6), 124 , 2022 2022 Citations: 12
Investigation of Tidal Asymmetry in the Shatt Al-Arab River Estuary, Northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Oceanologia , 2022 2022 Citations: 21
Influence of atmospheric forces on sea-surface fluctuations in Iraq marine water, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Arabian Journal of Geosciences 14 (16) , 2021 2021 Citations: 10
ESTIMATION OF TIDAL EXCURSION LENGTH ALONG THE SHATT Al-ARAB ESTUARY, SOUTHERN IRAQ AA Lafta Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology 59 (1), 79-89 , 2021 2021 Citations: 19
Impacts of potential sea-level rise on tidal dynamics in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta, SA Altaei, NH Al-Hashimi Earth Systems and Environment 4 (1), 93-105 , 2020 2020 Citations: 22
Characteristics of the tidal wave in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair channels, northwest of the Arabian Gulf AA Lafta, SA Altaei, NHN Al-Hashimi Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 34 (2), 112-125 , 2019 2019 Citations: 16
Estimation of Residence Time in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair Northwest of Arabian Gulf, Using Numerical modeling Technique AA Lafta, SAR Altaei, NHN Al-Hashimi Journal of Basrah Researches ((Sciences)) 45 (2) , 2019 2019 Citations: 1
Exchange marine water bodies to the northwest of Arabian Gulf (Flashing Time) SSA Samer Altaei, Ali Abdulridha Lafta journal of kerbala university 16 (4), 33-45 , 2018 2018
Numerical model simulates of sediments transport in Khor Al-Zuber, North west Arabian Gulf AJAFSAATAA Lafta Journal of Basrah Researches 43 (2) , 2017 2017
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Impacts of potential sea-level rise on tidal dynamics in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta, SA Altaei, NH Al-Hashimi Earth Systems and Environment 4 (1), 93-105 , 2020 2020 Citations: 22
Investigation of Tidal Asymmetry in the Shatt Al-Arab River Estuary, Northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Oceanologia , 2022 2022 Citations: 21
ESTIMATION OF TIDAL EXCURSION LENGTH ALONG THE SHATT Al-ARAB ESTUARY, SOUTHERN IRAQ AA Lafta Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology 59 (1), 79-89 , 2021 2021 Citations: 19
Characteristics of the tidal wave in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair channels, northwest of the Arabian Gulf AA Lafta, SA Altaei, NHN Al-Hashimi Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 34 (2), 112-125 , 2019 2019 Citations: 16
Longitudinal intrusion pattern of salinity in Shatt Al Arab estuary and reasons SA Al-Taei, SS Abdulla, AA Lafta Journal of King Abdulaziz University 25 (2), 205 , 2014 2014 Citations: 14
Numerical assessment of Karun river influence on salinity intrusion in the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Applied Water Science 12 (6), 124 , 2022 2022 Citations: 12
Flushing time of Shatt Al-Arab river, south of Iraq SS Abdullah, AA Lafta, SA Al-Taei, AH Al-Kaabi Mesopot. J. Mar. Sci 31 (1), 61-74 , 2016 2016 Citations: 12
General characteristics of tidal currents in the entrance of Khor Abdullah, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Oceanologia 65 (3), 494-502 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
Influence of atmospheric forces on sea-surface fluctuations in Iraq marine water, northwest of Arabian Gulf AA Lafta Arabian Journal of Geosciences 14 (16) , 2021 2021 Citations: 10
General characteristics of surface waves in Iraq marine water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf AJAF Ali A. Lafta Arabian Journal of Geosciences , 2022 2022 Citations: 9
Computer model and empirical models for prediction of salinity intrusion in estuaries, Shatt Al-Arab estuary as a case study AA Lafta Journal of Basrah Researches (Sciences) 40 (3), 161-174 , 2014 2014 Citations: 9
One Dimensional Hydrodynamics Model For Khor Al-Zubair Channel, South West of Iraq AJA Ali A. Lafta, SA Al-Taei J. Int. Acad. Res. Multidiscip 3 (4), 437-445 , 2015 2015 Citations: 8
Total dissolved solids modeling in the Shatt Al-Basrah canal, using Mike 11 AA Lafta, QMF Al-Aeaswi, SAR Al-Taei Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 28 (2), 139-150 , 2013 2013 Citations: 5
Temporal Variability of Sea Surface Temperature in Iraq Marine Water, Northwest of Arabian Gulf. AA Lafta, SS Abdullah ILMU KELAUTAN: Indonesian Journal of Marine Sciences 30 (1), 145-152 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Proposed treatment to reduce salinity intrusion into the Shatt Al-Arab estuary by using temporary storage in a convergent of channel in the context of tide A Bassal Mahmood, S Salim Abdullah, A Abdulridha Lafta International Journal of River Basin Management 22 (1), 89-100 , 2024 2024 Citations: 3
Predicting sea level variations for early warning using SARIMA model and deep learning techniques in the northwest Arabian Gulf AJB Alhallaf, J Vilcáez, P Rudra, AA Lafta Discover Geoscience 3 (1), 158 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Hydrodynamic characteristics of Khor Al-Zubair Channel, Southern Iraq AAL Abdullah Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology 25 (1), 103–112 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
The impact of buildup proposed barrage on tidal hydrodynamics in the Shatt Al-Arab River, South of Iraq SS Abdullah, AJ Al-Fartousi, AA Lafta Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Sciences 38 (1), 33-46 , 2023 2023 Citations: 2
Estimation of Residence Time in Khor Abdullah and Khor Al-Zubair Northwest of Arabian Gulf, Using Numerical modeling Technique AA Lafta, SAR Altaei, NHN Al-Hashimi Journal of Basrah Researches ((Sciences)) 45 (2) , 2019 2019 Citations: 1
Tidal Wave Amplification and Phase Shift from the Entrance of Khor Abdullah to the Shatt Al-Basrah Regulator, Northern Arabian Gulf FYAAJA Ali A. Lafta An-Najah University Journal for Research – A Natural Sciences , 2026 2026
