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Rip tide
Name: arthur k gum
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999
Question:
What is a rip tide and what causes it?
Replies:
The rip tide is not a tide, it is a current. When waves hit the beach
they hit at an angle and push water ahead of them. This water forms a
current that flows parallel to the shore, called the longshore current.
When the shape of the beach changes, or its direction (as in from
North-South to Northeast-Southwest) the speed of the current
changes. Locally this can cause more water to flow into an area
than can flow out, and water will pile up. This is much like a
traffic jam for the currents. However, the water, which is trapped
next to the shore, cannot get out because of the longshore
current. Eventually, so much water will pile up that it can break
through the longshore current in a small area. The large amount of
water rushing through a small break causes a strong current in a
small area that flows perpendicular (away) from the shore. This is
the rip tide. Once past the longshore current, the rip current is
no longer confined to a small area (bottleneck) and will spread
out and disappear. This is why if you feel a rip tide you can
get away from it by swimmin parallel to shore (its very narrow)
or if caught by one, you can let it carry you out beyond the
longshore current (the breakers essentially) and it will release
you as it spreads out and disappears.
Stacie
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Update: February 2012
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