Rip current review

Rip currents are shore-normal, narrow, seaward-flowing currents that originate within surf zone, extend seaward of the breaking region (rip head), and can obtain relatively high velocities. Within the last decade, there have been a significant number of laboratory and field observations within rip current systems. An overview of rip current kinematics based on these observations and the scientific advances obtained from these efforts are synthesized. Rip current flows are partitioned into mean, infragravity, very low frequency (vorticity), and tidal contributions, and it is found that each contributes significantly to the total. Data from the laboratory and the field suggest that the rip current strength increases with increasing wave energy and decreasing water depths. The maximum mean current occurs inside the surf zone, where the maximum forcing is present owing to the dissipation of waves.     

Rip current charactersitics and their role in the exchange of water and surf diatoms between the surf zone and nearshore

Photogrammetric measurements of dye dispersion in a high-energy surf zone provided semi-quantitative measurements of the pattern and flux of water exchange between the surf zone and nearshore. The intensity of current flow, the rip morphology and its position within the surf zone have important ecological implications for the surf zone and nearshore biota. A variety of water-movement patterns was found, ranging from currents which remained confined to the beach terrace to those which involved substantial exchange across the breaker line. In considering rips as exchange mechanisms, two rip types are recognized. Depending on the exchange of water across the breaker line, a rip may be classified as ‘exchange’ or ‘non-exchange’. The ecological significance of these current types is discussed and a classification scheme for rip currents is proposed. Offshore fluxes across the breaker line by rip currents ranged from negligible to 80 m³s⁻¹ rip⁻¹. The estimated maximum flux per running meter of the Sundays River Beach was calculated as 0·0.32m ³ s⁻¹. The half-residence period of surf-zone water ranged from as little as 22 min t0 5 days, averaging 3·6 h.A dichotomy of current patterns found between the water column and surface layers is used to explain the build up of a concentration gradient in cell numbers of the surf diatom Anaulus birostratus within the surf zone despite extensive flushing by surf circulation.     

Rip currents, mega-cusps, and eroding dunes

Dune erosion is shown to occur at the embayment of beach mega-cusps O(200 m alongshore) that are associated with rip currents. The beach is the narrowest at the embayment of the mega-cusps allowing the swash of large storm waves coincident with high tides to reach the toe of the dune, to undercut the dune and to cause dune erosion. Field measurements of dune, beach, and rip current morphology are acquired along an 18 km shoreline in southern Monterey Bay, California. This section of the bay consists of a sandy shoreline backed by extensive dunes, rising to heights exceeding 40 m. There is a large increase in wave height going from small wave heights in the shadow of a headland, to the center of the bay where convergence of waves owing to refraction over the Monterey Bay submarine canyon results in larger wave heights. The large alongshore gradient in wave height results in a concomitant alongshore gradient in morphodynamic scale. The strongly refracted waves and narrow bay aperture result in near normal wave incidence, resulting in well-developed, persistent rip currents along the entire shoreline.

The alongshore variations of the cuspate shoreline are found significantly correlated with the alongshore variations in rip spacing at 95% confidence. The alongshore variations of the volume of dune erosion are found significantly correlated with alongshore variations of the cuspate shoreline at 95% confidence. Therefore, it is concluded the mega-cusps are associated with rip currents and that the location of dune erosion is associated with the embayment of the mega-cusp.     

威海国际海水浴场裂流调查与区划研究

裂流发生迅速,发生位置隐秘,发生范围相对较小,发生时海浪大、流速快,这些特点给裂流观测带来困难。本文以威海国际海水浴场为研究对象,通过水深地形测量、海浪海流观测及高空摄影等多种观测方式相结合,尝试采用可行且易于实现的方法对裂流易发区域进行定位,在此基础上对该海域裂流类型和产生原因进行分析,并进一步进行威海国际海水浴场裂流区划。研究表明:威海国际海水浴场水下地形较为复杂,离岸200 m范围内存在5个沙丘-沟槽结构,沟槽和东侧栈桥前沿是裂流危险区,分属海滩型裂流和边界型裂流,裂流流速在0.5~1 m/s之间,观测期间裂流平均风险等级为中等。本研究可为裂流观测和海水浴场管理提供一定的参考。     

Rip currents under obliquely incident wind waves and tidal longshore currents

A field experiment on the nature of rip currents was conducted on the Dutch coast, which differs from previous rip current study sites because it is a wind-sea dominated environment with mostly obliquely incident waves and tidally-driven longshore currents. During the experiment three distinct flow patterns, obtained with GPS tracked drifter instruments, were observed: (1) a locally governed circulation cell, (2) an offshore current that is deflected shore parallel outside the surf zone and (3) a meandering longshore current. The transition from rip currents (flow patterns 1 and 2) to meandering longshore currents (flow pattern 3) occurred gradually within the tidal cycle with longshore currents prevalent at mid to high tide. Rip currents at this site appeared at depressions in the surf zone bar and typically occurred when the water level fell below NAP (equivalent to MSL), even in the presence of obliquely incident waves and tidally driven longshore currents. Hindcast simulations of the drifter experiments were performed with the numerical model XBeach and showed good agreement with field observations. The model was subsequently used to investigate the influence of tidal water level fluctuations, longshore currents and obliquely incident waves on rip currents.Rip currents were initiated when the water level dropped below a specific threshold with the magnitude of the rip current associated with the water level. The strength of the tidal current and its orientation with respect to the incident waves governed the offshore extent and orientation of the rip current. In contrast to other studies that suggest that rip currents solely occur under shore normal (or slightly oblique waves), in this study both observations and numerical model simulations indicate that rip currents can exist under large angles of wave incidence, when the rip channel is sufficiently wide and the wave height is small.     

An interconnect width and spacing optimization model considering scattering effect

As the feature size of the CMOS integrated circuit continues to shrink, the more and more serious scattering effect has a serious impact on interconnection performance, such as delay and bandwidth. Based on the impact of the scattering effect on latency and bandwidth, this paper first presents the quality-factor model which optimises latency and bandwidth effectively with the consideration of the scattering effect. Then we obtain the analytical model of line width and spacing with application of curve-fitting method. The proposed model has been verified and compared based on the nano-scale CMOS technology. This optimisation model algorithm is simple and can be applied to the interconnection system optimal design of nano-scale integrated circuits.     

不同排列方式和间隙比下双圆柱流致振动特性研究

采用基于ALE的流固耦合分析方法,将圆柱体振动模型简化为平面双自由度质量-弹簧-阻尼系统,进行了计算参数无关性分析。对不同θ角和间隙比T下的双圆柱流致振动进行数值模拟,并与单圆柱振动计算结果进行比较,得到了不同θ角和间隙比T下中心圆柱的升阻力系数、流场分布和运动轨迹变化情况。通过分析发现小间隙比下由于两圆柱间的相互干扰,改变了中心圆柱的尾涡结构,导致了升力和阻力系数随不同θ角而发生变化;小间隙比下由于两圆柱间的相互干扰影响,均使中心圆柱的轨迹在不同θ角下发生了较大的变化,顺流向的振动频率与单圆柱振动时相比出现了多倍频,导致其运动轨迹发生了变化。     

The effects of uniform and nonuniform pile spacing variations on local scour at pile groups

Pile groups are frequently used to support bridge decks. Scour in the vicinity of piles is the main cause for the bridges failure. In this research, to address the effects of uniform and nonuniform pile spacing on the equilibrium scour depth, laboratory experiments were carried out under steady clear-water conditions. For this purpose, scour depth produced by pile group with various pile spacing and arrangement was investigated using a laboratory flume. Flume bed was covered by uniform sediments with a median size of 0.9?mm and 0.2?m thickness. Flow discharge and velocity as well as scour depth were recorded in each experiment and the data were analyzed. The results showed that the pile spacing influences the local scour depth and with increase in uniform and transverse (perpendicular to the flow) spacing, the maximum scour depth was reduced. The pile spacing variation in line with the flow has a minor effect on scour depth. In addition, the pile spacing perpendicular to the flow was with the most influences on scour depth. The results of this research can be used by engineers to optimize the design of bridges.     

大亚湾海域潮流和余流的三维数值模拟

用三维陆架海模式(HAMSOM)对大亚湾海域的潮汐、潮流和余流进行了数值模拟研究,模拟结果与实测值吻合较好。给出了潮流性质、主要分潮的潮流椭圆和余流。计算结果表明,大亚湾海域的潮流性质以不正规半日潮为主,水平潮流具有明显的往复流性质,主要呈南-北方向,落潮流速比涨潮流速大,其中表层M2分潮最大流速为25.3cm.s-1。流速受地形的影响,在大辣甲和黄毛山岛之间以及两岛与岸之间的区域流速较大,尤其在湾的东北角狭长地形处流最急,流速最大;靠近岸边流速较小,水平速度的垂向变化不大。夏季湾内余流较小,海域自净能力较弱。冬季湾内水体的自净能力随流场强度加强而加强。     

The Bransfield current system

We use hydrographic data collected during two interdisciplinary cruises, CIEMAR and BREDDIES, to describe the mesoscale variability observed in the Central Basin of the Bransfield Strait (Antarctica). The main mesoscale feature is the Bransfield Front and the related Bransfield Current, which flows northeastward along the South Shetland Island Slope. A laboratory model suggests that this current behaves as a gravity current driven by the local rotation rate and the density differences between the Transitional Zonal Water with Bellingshausen influence (TBW) and the Transitional Zonal Water with Weddell Sea influence (TWW). Below the Bransfield Front we observe a narrow (10 km wide) tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water all along the South Shetland Islands Slope. At the surface, the convergence of TBW and TWW leads to a shallow baroclinic front close to the Antarctic Peninsula (hereafter Peninsula Front). Between the Bransfield Front and the Peninsula Front we observe a system of TBW anticyclonic eddies, with diameters about 20 km that can reach 300 m deep. This eddy system could be originated by instabilities of the Bransfield Current. The Bransfield Current, the anticyclonic eddy system, the Peninsula Front and the tongue of Circumpolar Deep Water, are the dynamically connected components of the Bransfield Current System.     

Acoustic Doppler current meter

A current meter designed to measure velocity profiles in the water column above the bed is described. The solution proposed is a coherent backscatter Doppler sonar system using a single transducer. A range-velocity product of 20 m²/s can be achieved by combining state of the art sonar techniques with new processing methods and careful, highly flexible design. Large range-velocity products and very short range resolution together with the possibility of acquiring sensible results without averaging over long time periods are features of this current meter     

Acoustic correlation current profiler

An acoustic correlation current profiler (ACCP) system is being developed to obtain vertical profiles of current velocities to ranges of approximately 1500 m. A single transmitter and a spatial array of eight receivers arranged in a novel geometry are employed to measure water mass displacement from receiver array cross-correlation functions. Test data from a shallow water ACCP operating at 76.8 kHz are presented and compared to model predictions as well as to velocity profiles obtained simultaneously during the tests from an adjacent acoustic Doppler current profiler. Additionally, predicted performance data for a lower frequency deep-water unit are presented     

Three-D numerical simulation of wind-driven current and density current in the Beibu Gulf

The Beibu Gulf circulation plays an imPOrtant role in the long--term water rnass transportinside the gulf. It is also closely related to the Guangxi untal water mass transport and self-purification. Hence, it is of practical imPOrtance to study the circulation in the gUlf. The cir-culation in the gUlf is very comlicated, and is rnainly gOverned by wind, water density gradi-ent, the current outside the gulf and the bathpoetry. In spring, a cold water rnass generatesln the center of the gulf…     

浙江近海潮流和余流的特征

依据近年来浙江海岸带和海岛调查的实测海流数据,研究了浙江近海的潮流、余流特征和分布规律。由实测数据得到调和分析的一些参数,并根据这些参数分析了浙江近海的潮流性质、潮流运动形式、最大可能流速、M2分潮潮流椭圆、潮流的垂直分布及冬、夏季的余流分布,从而对浙江近海整个区域的潮流、余流特性有了一个较为全面的认识。     

Calibration of estuarine current crosses

Tethered current crosses are simple, reliable tools in making measurements of estuarine currents in the absence of surface waves. The standard error of the estimate of current speed is less than 5 cm s^?1 for the particular crosses and weights used in a calibration experiment. The useful velocity range of these current crosses was 8–147 cm s^?1, corresponding to a measured angle, α, from 2° to 30°. Regression of the independently measured current speed on $\text{(tan α)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ yielded coefficients of determination greater than 0·94, indicating that the drag coefficient is not a function of current speed. However, the calculated drag coefficients varied widely from 0·66 to 2·55, depending on the particular combination of cross and weight, varying drastically from the commonly assumed drag coefficient value of 1·12. Thus, in using current crosses, it is imperative to calibrate each cross against a current meter reading to determine an appropriate value for the drag coefficient for a particular current cross and weight.     

A retrievable bottom-mounted current meter

The design and use of a lightweight, retrievable, bottom-mounted current meter for taking current measurements to ocean depths of 1800 m are described.     

适合中等水流的Boussinesq方程

推导了含量阶为O(ε1/2)的瞬变非均匀流的Boussinesq水波方程,讨论了该量阶水流对流场速度和压力分布的影响,采用了Crank-Nicolson格式的预估-校正有限差分法对该方程进行了数值求解.把数值结果与无水流情况的实验结果进行了对比,验证了该方程和数值计算方法的有效性,与经典的Boussinesq方程和含量阶为O(1)的瞬变非均匀流的Boussinesq水波方程的计算结果进行了比较,考察了该方程的适用范围.     

Intercomparison of wave-driven current models

Seven numerical models which simulate waves and currents in the surf-zone are tested for the case of a reduced-scale detached breakwater subjected to the action of regular waves with normal incidence. The computed wave heights, water levels and velocities are compared with measurements collected in an experimental wave basin. The wave height decay in the surf-zone is predicted reasonably well. Set-up and currents appear to be less well predicted. This intercomparison exercise shows that radiation stresses are systematically overestimated by formulations used in the models, mean bottom shear stresses are not always co-linear with the mean bottom velocity vector in shallow water, and turbulence modelling in the surf-zone requires a sophisticated     

Using a lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler for measuring current velocities in the Black Sea

The results obtained with the use of a lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) are presented. The use of the LADCP from a vessel was the first in the history of the study of the Black Sea. The measurements were carried out in the northeastern Black Sea under the auspices of the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Program (BSERP) in May 2004. The effect of the computation parameters on the quality and accuracy of the calculations of velocity profiles was studied. It was shown that the use of optimal parameters and reliable navigation data and setting the instrument as close to the bottom as possible could essentially enhance the accuracy of the measurements. The current velocity calculations from the LADCP data were compared with the data on the vessel drift under calm weather. The accuracy of the calculations reached 6–8 cm/s. Recommendations on the choice of the optimal parameters for processing the data on the current velocity are presented.     

Correction method for full-depth current velocity with lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP)

A new method is presented to process and correct full-depth current velocity data obtained from a lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP). The analysis shows that, except near the surface, the echo intensity of a reflected sound pulse is closely correlated with the magnitude of the difference in vertical shear of velocity between downcast and upcast, indicating an error in velocity shear. The present method features the use of echo intensity for the correction of velocity shear. The correction values are determined as to fit LADCP velocity to shipboard ADCP (SADCP) and LADCP bottom-tracked velocities. The method is as follows. Initially, a profile of velocity relative to the sea surface is obtained by integrating vertical shears of velocity after low-quality data are rejected. Second, the relative velocity is fitted to the velocity at 100–800 dbar measured by SADCP to obtain an “absolute” velocity profile. Third, the velocity shear is corrected using the relationship between the errors in velocity shears and echo intensity, in order to adjust the velocity at sea bottom to the bottom-tracked velocity measured by LADCP. Finally, the velocity profile is obtained from the SADCP-fitted velocity at depths less than 800 dbar and the corrected velocity shear at depths greater than 800 dbar. This method is valid for a full-depth LADCP cast throughout which the echo intensity is relatively high (greater than 75 dB in the present analysis). Although the processed velocity may include errors of 1–2 cm s⁻¹, this method produced qualitatively good current structures in the Northeast Pacific Basin that were consistent with the deep current structures inferred from silicate distribution, and the averaged velocities were significantly different from those calculated by the Visbeck (2002) method.