Prediction of Nearshore Waves and Currents: Model Sensitivity, Confidence and Assimilation
2007
Ozkan-Haller, H. T.
The rip current field resulting from the transformation of surface gravity waves over offshore submarine canyons has been studied. Employing a wave transformation model and a wave-induced circulation model over observed bathymetry we find that wave height variations associated with undulations in the canyon contours cause rip current circulation cells with alongshore spacing of O(100m) even though the nearshore bathymetry displays no variations at these length scales. Further, the predicted rips correspond to observed rip currents during the Nearshore Canyon Experiment (NCEX). Motivated by these results we study the relationship between O(100m) scale variations in offshore bathymetric contours and the resulting rip current field in the nearshore. We have then extended our work to the study of the rip current field during almost a month of the NCEX experiment ranging from Oct 9, 2003 through November 1, 2003. The location, strength and persistence of the rip current during this time and the predictability of the rip system as a function of the characteristics of the incoming wave field has been has been analyzed in detail.
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