accompanying frontal passages. Since winds over the Persian Gulf 

 are generally weak, they contribute little to the development of the 

 current pattern in either the gulf or Kuwait Harbor. 



With almost total certainty one can say that precipitation and 

 runoff are never of sufficient quantity to modify the tidal current 

 patterns in Kuwait Harbor and vicinity. Only under the most exceptional 

 circumstances would the rainfall volume over Iraq and the northern 

 part of Kuwait produce discharges from Khawr as Sabiniyan or Shatt 

 al Arab large enough to modify the existing current pattern in even the 

 most eastern reaches of Kuwait Harbor. Certainly no observations 

 taken during the 1948-49 winter season indicate that runoff or discharge 

 from streams at the head of the Persian Gulf affect appreciably the 

 current pattern in the Kuwait embayment. 



The tidal current pattern at each station is rectilinear; at some 

 stations significant time delays occur in the reversal of the current 

 after high and low water. Average maximum vectors for flood and 

 ebb at surface and depth are depicted in Figure 10 along with a gener- 

 alized bathymetry configuration. 



V. Bottom Sediments and Bathymetry 



On this survey a total of 131 geological samples were taken; of 

 this total, 90 were bottom samples from the Kuwait Harbor area and 

 35 were from the beaches east of Kuwait to Ras al Ardh and south to 

 Fahihil. The remaining six samples were taken over Shah Allum Shoal 

 in the southeastern part of the gulf. 



The bottom sample analyses are listed in Table V and beach sample 

 analyses in Table VI. Positions of all samples taken in Kuwait Harbor 

 and vicinity are shown in Figures 9 and 11. Bottom sampling was done 

 primarily from the "sound boats," sometimes in conjunction with the 

 sounding operations, but more often on separate trips intended solely for 

 oceanographic work. The 90 bottom samples obtained provide a close 

 sampling grid for the Kuwait Harbor - Jazirat Faylakah - Fahihil area; 

 however, a planned sampling network might have been more desirable 

 instead of the random observation "system" used. An orange peel 

 sampler or a "snapper" was used to obtain most of the bottom samples; 

 a "scoopfish" sampler and a BT casing which was modified into an en- 

 larged "scoopfish" were also available for sampling while underway. The 

 latter item proved to be a particularly good instrument for obtaining 

 sizable samples while running sounding lines and was used extensively. 



For the beach areas a special effort was made to take samples at 



