Citation

Tam CKW. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 1973; 78(12): 1937-1943.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1973, William Byrd Press for John Hopkins Press)

DOI

10.1029/JC078i012p01937

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The dynamics of rip currents is investigated using a set of shallow water equations with a horizontal eddy viscosity term. A boundary layer analysis is introduced based on the observed fact that rip currents are rather narrow. Similarity solutions of the model equations are found which seem to give reasonable representations of the velocity profile and other characteristics of rip currents. The mechanisms that are believed to be responsible for the formation of rip heads are studied. The turning of rip currents due to the longshore momentum carried by the entrained fluid is analyzed.

Language: en