Rip Currents

CROSS-SHORE FLOWS
Breaking Wave
Profile
Transfer of momentum
by breaking. More at
Trough Level surface than at bed.

Bottom

Breaking Wave
Profile
Opposing pressure
setup
gradient due to wave
Trough Level setup. Vertically
uniform.

Bottom
 CROSS-SHORE FLOWS

Breaking Wave
Profile

Trough Level

Bottom

The result is the sum of the two. Still near surface forcing but the
pressure gradient provides enough offshore forcing to overcome
weak onshore forcing via breaking. Thus undertow profile develops.
ALONGSHORE FLOWS
ALONGSHORE FLOWS - DISTRIBUTION

45 degrees
P=.01 5 degrees

As P goes up,
P=.1 more mixing

P=1
ALONGSHORE FLOWS - DISTRIBUTION
MODEL

SWL

DATA

SWL

RECENT LAB DATA

SWL
 Longshore or Littoral Drift

Waves break at angle to shore, which causes swash at angle to shore

Backwash follows gravity down foreshore
Net effect is water and sediment transport along shore
 Beach growth during swash and backwash

Swash flow up foreshore after wave breaks

transport all water and much sediment, but water
percolates into permeable beach sand
Backwash - less water and sediment flow with backwash
Therefore, beach builds up to uniform level, creating the berm