Field measurement on longshore current variation between Ratnagiri and Mangalore, west coast of India

Abstract

The daily measurements on longshore current velocity and direction were carried out at selected 12 stations along the coast between Ratnagiri and Mangalore, India. The directional wave data measured at Karwar were used to theoretically estimate the longshore currents using Galvin's and Longuet-Higgin's equations. The computed values were compared with the measured longshore currents at Karwar. The distribution of longshore current velocity and direction is not uniform along the coast between Ratnagiri and Mangalore. The longshore current velocity varied from 0.1 m/s to 0.35 m/s. The longshore current direction was predominantly southward at Ratnagiri, Ambolgarh, Vengurla, Calangute, Tadri, Malpe, Mulki and Ullal. It was northward at Colva, Karwar, Honavar and Coondapur