Rip current occurrences in meso tidal surf zones at a coastal stretch along the central west coast of India

Abstract

Currents in the surfzone were measured and modeled along a coastal stretch on the central west coast of India. Wave and tide were the primary forcings for the numerical model, which was validated with the measurements. The rip current occurrences concerning the prevailing coastal processes are attempted, and the instances where the rip currents can prevail are identified. The wave height, wave period, wave direction, and water level in the nearshore waters were correlated with the rip current (>0.2 m/s) occurrence. The wave period around 7–8 s and the wave direction between 240° and 275° significantly contributed to the rip currents over the entire study region. Along Sinquerim and Candolim beach stretch, a high prevalence of rip currents is observed for wave heights in the range between 1.4 and 1.6 m. In contrast, in Candolim and Baga beaches, the rip current prevalence is greater for wave heights ranging between 0.4 and 0.7 m. In comparison, the tide level between 0.5 and 1 m was significant along the Sinquerim–Candolim stretch. In contrast, tide levels between 0.75 and 2 m were significant in rip current occurrence for the Calangute and Baga stretch.