Three-dimensional Distribution Characteristics of Rip Currents Generated by Intersecting Waves

The study of three-dimensional distribution of rip currents by intersecting waves is helpful to the comprehensive study of evolution laws and disaster mechanisms. To better analyze the influence of groin, sandbar and rip channel on the three-dimensional distribution of rip currents, an experimental study on vertical structure of rip currents generated by intersecting waves over barred beaches with rip channels was conducted at two different nodes in rip channel and on the sandbar. The results show that offshore from the sandbar the rip current velocities were much stronger at the surface than near the bottom. The vertical structure of rip currents was found to vary from depth-uniform in rip channel and strongly depth-varying on the sandbar. The results show that the vertical structure of rip currents is in accordance with the logarithmic distribution law. The nearshore circulation system and the fluctuation characteristics of the longshore velocity component of the rip currents by the groin, which results in that the longshore velocity component of rip currents in the rip channel points to the direction of the groin, and weakens the influence on longshore velocity component of rip currents on the sand bar far away from the groin.