Simultaneous field observations of breaker and current behavior have been made using techniques of the Littoral Environment Observation (LEO) program. This program, developed at CERC, is used to collect data on beach and surf conditions. The data base for this report represents a concentrated data collection effort over a period of 1 year at three beach sites at Point Mugu, California. Longshore current behavior is investigated in two ways: (a) observed; and (b) predicted, using LEO data. Observed longshore currents are represented by the behavior of dye injected into the surf between the shoreline and breakers. Predicted longshore currents, based on the observation that longshore currents are generated primarily by waves, are estimated using a relationship for the average longshore current across the surf. The prediction model relies upon consideration of the radiation stress or wave thrust on water inside the breakers, and is evaluated using LEO breaker heights, angles of wave approach at breaking, and estimated widths of the surf zone. The degree of similarity between observed and predicted longshore currents is significantly high. This similarity not only suggests that the relationship for prediction of longshore currents is reasonable in field situations, but that there is a surprising degree of internal consistency within typical LEO data sets.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Surf Observations and Longshore Current Prediction


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1975


    Size :

    2262340


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Classification :


    Computation of Longshore Energy Flux using LEO Current Observations

    Walton, Todd L. Jr. | HENRY – Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) | 1980

    Free access

    Compilation of Longshore Current Data

    Galvin, Cyril Jerome / Nelson, Richard A. | HENRY – Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) | 1967

    Free access

    Longshore Current Velocities along West Coast of India

    Dange, A. P. / Ghosh, L. K. / Indian Institute of Technology | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2001


    Experience in longshore research

    Fullinwider, E.G. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1964


    Longshore Current Velocity : a Review of Theory and Data

    Galvin, Cyril Jerome Jr. | HENRY – Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) | 1967

    Free access