RIP CURRENTS IN SEMIELLIPTIC BAYS

The dependence on geometric as well as on climatic parameters in the circulation pattern in a semielliptic bay, using the approach by Baquerizo and Losada (2002) is studied. A circulation, mainly driven by the oblique angle of incidence, consisting in two cells with a an outgoing rip current at the axis of the embayment is obtained. The geometry of the ellipse is found to influence the circulation pattern, decreasing the intensity of the central outgoing rip as the ellipse flattens and reinforcing the longshore current at the lateral zones.