The long-term goals are to understand surf zone processes related to rip current systems through field observations. Rip currents occur commonly on most beaches and dominate many. It is recognized that beaches with straight and parallel contours are not a stable morphologic configuration whereas more complex beaches, which support the existence of rip current morphology, are stable and more com...

1. Theoretical investigations of the vertical structure of mean currents, tidal flows, and low frequency (infragravity) oscillations on the inner shelf and inside the surf zone. This work expands on recent theoretical developments for shear instabilities that follow methodology developed for tidal flows on the continental shelf. Results will be compared with field data examined as part of the s...