Rip Currents with Varying Gap Widths
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 1
Abstract
The behavior of rip currents with changing bar and gap lengths was tested in a series of laboratory experiments using video-tracked floating drifters. Qualitatively, currents showed strong differences in overall character with changing topography. As narrow gaps became wider, the circulation tended to first travel parallel to the shoreline instead of immediately offshore, although strong offshore-directed flows were found for all topographies. Quantitatively, the width of the rip neck was found to increase slowly when compared to the increasing width of the rip channel. Maximum offshore and longshore velocities showed little dependence on bar or gap lengths, and were found to scale well with the predicted rate of generation of circulation. Finally, volumetric offshore flow rates through the rip channel showed no proportionality with the bar length as predicted by the mass transport hypothesis of rip current strength.
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Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 1 • January 2008
Pages: 61 - 65
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 22, 2006
Accepted: Dec 17, 2006
Published online: Jan 1, 2008
Published in print: Jan 2008
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