Huge ocean waves during storms videos8/12/2023 ![]() Rip currents have nothing do with the tides, which are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon on the whole ocean. You might have heard of something called “rip tides,” but this term is incorrect. However, if the tide is high, the wave is large, and the beach slopes sharply downhill toward the water, the undertow could be strong enough to knock you down, but it won’t carry you far-maybe just far enough to get smacked by the next big wave coming in. Unless the beach has a steep incline, the undertow will probably not be very powerful. An undertow can occur when water sinks back downhill into the sea after a wave has carried it uphill onto the beach. Rip currents are much more dangerous, because they flow on the surface of the water, can be very strong, and can extend some distance from the shore. undertowĭon’t confuse a rip current with an undertow. ![]() ![]() The ocean floor may suddenly have an ideal shape for creating unpredictable rip currents where there were none before. The shape of the ocean bottom sometimes changes during storms or when waves are particularly big. Perhaps surprisingly, rip currents are strongest at low tide. Rip current speed is influenced by the size of the waves, but sometimes waves only two feet high can produce hazardous rips. However, they have been known to flow as fast as 8 feet per second (about 5 miles per hour)-faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! They can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea. Rip currents typically flow at 1 to 2 feet per second. Limited as they are in size, you don’t want to get caught in a rip current while swimming. (A 4-lane highway is about 50 feet wide.) They may also form around human-made structures such as jetties and piers. Rip currents may form around low spots in the ocean floor near the shoreline or in breaks between sandbars. Image credit: NOAA Ocean Today (modified) "These exciting emerging technologies provide NOAA with another valuable tool that can collect data in places we can’t get to with other observing systems.Rip currents are often difficult to see, but you can spot them in areas where waves aren’t breaking, or where there’s foam, seaweed, or discolored water being pulled offshore (area marked by red arrows). Philip Hall, director of NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Operations Center said in a statement. "Uncrewed systems in the air, on the ocean surface, and underwater have the potential to transform how NOAA meets its mission to better understand the environment," Capt. The goal of collecting data is to better understand storm intensity and ocean surges. ![]() The drone captured seas of 50 feet and winds estimated to be around 140 mph. In 2021, a vehicle was steered into the eyewall of Hurricane Sam. The powerful hurricane is not the first time a Saildrone has intercepted a Category 4 storm. SAILING DRONES TO PINCH HIT FOR BUSTED BUOYS IN GULF OF MEXICO DURING PEAK HURRICANE SEASON A saildrone was able to capture 50 feet waves and 100 mph winds in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.Īt least three other Saildrones have intercepted the storm as it made its way through the Caribbean and into the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Vice President of Product at Saildrone Kim Sparling tells FOX Weather the mission is to sail robots on the surface of the ocean and collect data which is shared with partners such as the NOAA. Ocean drone captures wrath of Hurricane Fiona ![]()
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