Citation

Haas K, Kennedy A, Sapp B. J. Waterw. Port Coast. Ocean Eng. 2008; 134(1): 12-20.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Society of Civil Engineers)

DOI

10.1061/(ASCE)0733-950X(2008)134:1(12)

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper describes nonintrusive optical techniques to measure large-scale flows in a laboratory wave basin. Numerous drifters with weak positive flotation are tracked discretely and automatically using a video camera mounted near the laboratory ceiling. Processed drifter tracks are used for dense estimates of mean surface currents over the visible area. Examination of the drifter tracks also shows that waves are imaged and therefore basic wave properties may also be estimated, although this requires some further assumptions. These video based flow observations are presumed to have less precision than in situ measurements; however, the density of measurements from the video far exceeds that which can be obtained using fixed instruments, providing the method's major advantage.

Keywords: Drowning; Drowning prevention ; Wave measurement, Basins, Laboratory tests, Velocity, Rip currents