Student
Name: Grade:
Observations and Analyses of
Coastal Wave and Currents
1. Observe and Record the Coastal Weather
Conditions for Today:
Time Air temp Wind (speed & direction) Humidity Clouds Sea temp
2. Observe and Record the Local Swell Conditions for
Today:
Swell #1: Swell height Swell
direction Swell
period
Swell #2: Swell height Swell
direction Swell
period
a) If there are
two or more swell running, how can you tell by the wave patterns?
3. Observations of the Surf Zone:
a) Compare the swell height
(offshore) to the surf height (when wave starts to break)
b) Why is the surf height roughly twice as much as the swell
height?
4.
Observe and Record the Tide Conditions for Today:
Time Tidal
height
First High Tide:
First Low Tide:
Second High Tide:
Second
Low Tide:
a) Is the present tide conditions a
slack, ebb, or flow tide?
___________________
b) Are we in a neap tide or spring
tide part of monthly tidal cycle?
________________
c) Do we have a Diurnal, Semidiurnal, or Mixed
tide pattern in
5. Observe and Record the Longshore
Current Conditions for Today:
a) Do you
observe a longshore current? If yes then
record the direction and speed:
Direction: ______________ Speed: ______________
b) What causes a longshore current to
develop inside the surf zone?
c) What is the prominent direction of the longshore current
in
d) What is the longshore drift?
What causes it? Where does it
ultimately end up?
6. Observe and Record the Rip Current
Conditions for Today:
a) Do you observe a rip current? If yes, then record the number, spacing and
intensity:
Number: _______ Spacing: ______________ Intensity: ______________
b) What is the prominent direction of the rip current through the surf
zone? ___________
c) What causes a rip current to
develop inside the surf zone?
d) What are the tell-tale signs for
spotting a rip current?
e) What do you do if you are caught in a rip current and need
to escape it?
Field stops #2 – On the Sand at Black’s Beach (Hike down to beach)
7.
Observation and Measurement of the Surf Height
a) Use a surfer to measure the surf
wave height: __________________
b) Compare your results above with
those of your bluff-top observations: Similar? Different?
8.
Observations and Direct Measurement of the Longshore Current:
a) Use a Frisbee, measuring tape, and
watch to measure and calculate the longshore current
direction
and speed: Speed = Distance/Time
Direction: ____________ Measured Distance: ____________ Time: _________
Calculated speed: _____________ / ____________ = ______________
b) Compare your results above with
those of your bluff-top observations: Similar? Different?
9.
Shoreline Observations of Rip Currents
a) Do you observe any rip currents
from the beach: _______________________________
b) Compare your results above with
those of your bluff-top observations: Similar? Different?
10) Post Trip Reflection:
a) Purpose of trip:
_____________________________________________________________
b) What did you learn on this trip? ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c) What did you find most interesting and/or important?
________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
d) What did you find most difficult or challenging?
_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
e) How could the fieldtrip have been better designed or
executed? ______________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________