Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling
Rip currents at featureless beaches (i.e., beaches lacking sandbars or channels) are often hydrodynamically controlled, exhibiting intermittent and unpredictable behaviors that pose significant risks to recreational beach users. This study assessed occurrences of rip currents under a range of ideali...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1139 |
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| author | Yuli Liu Changming Dong Xiang Li Fan Yang |
| author_facet | Yuli Liu Changming Dong Xiang Li Fan Yang |
| author_sort | Yuli Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rip currents at featureless beaches (i.e., beaches lacking sandbars or channels) are often hydrodynamically controlled, exhibiting intermittent and unpredictable behaviors that pose significant risks to recreational beach users. This study assessed occurrences of rip currents under a range of idealized morphology configurations and hydrodynamic wave forcing parameters using a wave-resolving Boussinesq-type model. Numerical experiments revealed that rip currents with durations on the time scale of 10 min are generated in the forms of vortex pairs, intensified eddies, mega-rips, and eddies shedding from longshore currents. In general, the key conditions that promote rip current formation at featureless beaches include shoreline curvature, headlands, moderately mild beach slopes (e.g., 0.02–0.03), normal or near-normal wave incidence, and large wave heights. Most importantly, this study highlights inherent uncertainties in rip current occurrences, particularly under conditions usually perceived as low risk: low wave heights, short wave periods, oblique wave incidence, and straight shorelines. These conditions can lead to transient rip currents and pose an unexpected hazard that coastal communities should be aware of. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4b82c2c7f5d44b7196f6b35ddaa0de22 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-4b82c2c7f5d44b7196f6b35ddaa0de222025-08-20T03:51:56ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-06-01136113910.3390/jmse13061139Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq ModelingYuli Liu0Changming Dong1Xiang Li2Fan Yang3School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaZhuhai Marine Environment Monitoring Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Zhuhai 519000, ChinaRip currents at featureless beaches (i.e., beaches lacking sandbars or channels) are often hydrodynamically controlled, exhibiting intermittent and unpredictable behaviors that pose significant risks to recreational beach users. This study assessed occurrences of rip currents under a range of idealized morphology configurations and hydrodynamic wave forcing parameters using a wave-resolving Boussinesq-type model. Numerical experiments revealed that rip currents with durations on the time scale of 10 min are generated in the forms of vortex pairs, intensified eddies, mega-rips, and eddies shedding from longshore currents. In general, the key conditions that promote rip current formation at featureless beaches include shoreline curvature, headlands, moderately mild beach slopes (e.g., 0.02–0.03), normal or near-normal wave incidence, and large wave heights. Most importantly, this study highlights inherent uncertainties in rip current occurrences, particularly under conditions usually perceived as low risk: low wave heights, short wave periods, oblique wave incidence, and straight shorelines. These conditions can lead to transient rip currents and pose an unexpected hazard that coastal communities should be aware of.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1139rip currentstransient ripsBoussinesq modelingbeach hazard |
| spellingShingle | Yuli Liu Changming Dong Xiang Li Fan Yang Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling Journal of Marine Science and Engineering rip currents transient rips Boussinesq modeling beach hazard |
| title | Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling |
| title_full | Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling |
| title_short | Assessing Rip Current Occurrences at Featureless Beaches Using Boussinesq Modeling |
| title_sort | assessing rip current occurrences at featureless beaches using boussinesq modeling |
| topic | rip currents transient rips Boussinesq modeling beach hazard |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/6/1139 |
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