EAPSI: Evaluating Beachgoer Vulnerability to the Rip Current Hazard

离岸流是一种强烈的、狭窄的向海水流，起源于全球许多海滩的冲浪区。每年都有数百起国际溺水事件与它们有关，但由于在获得准确的事故报告方面存在后勤困难，因此很难计算出确切的数字。据估计，在美国、哥斯达黎加和澳大利亚，年平均离岸流死亡人数分别为100人、53人和21人。虽然人们对离岸流的物理行为已经相当了解，但我们对离岸流危害的社会方面所知甚少。最近的研究表明，海滩游客溺水是由身体和社会因素共同造成的，后者与海滩游客的年龄、游泳能力、知识和发现海浪的能力有关。由于三个群体：海滩科学家、海滩安全从业人员和公众之间的信息脱节，离岸流的危害已经加剧。该项目将使用混合方法来解决这些脱节问题，通过结合测量离岸流通道形态的新方法和测量海滩游客的知识来确定受试者靠近离岸流通道的行为。研究结果将有助于改进澳大利亚、美国和全球的激流教育干预设计。该项目将由新南威尔士大学副教授、著名的离岸流专家罗布·布兰德博士监督。访谈将分析撕裂危险地点的空间关系，这些关系将从数字地球捕获的多光谱图像创建的水深图中确定。美国的WorldView2 （WV2）卫星该卫星捕获的电磁波谱不同波段的侵彻深度可用于推导测深。因为在测深学中，裂口形成于地形低洼处，所以它们的位置可以从冲浪带的河道中解释。这种方法在悉尼周围的清澈水域中精度最高。Rip地点，结合采访结果和地点，将决定受试者是否？观察到的行为（在海滩内的位置选择）反映了他们对海滩动力学的了解。这项研究的结果将阐明海岸地貌学家、政策制定者和海滩游客之间的差距如何弥合，以降低澳大利亚和美国与激流相关的死亡和伤害。NSF EAPSI奖是与澳大利亚科学院合作资助的。

Rip currents are strong, narrow seaward flows of water that originate in the surf zones of many global beaches. They are related to hundreds of international drownings each year, but exact numbers are difficult to calculate due to logistical difficulties in obtaining accurate incident reports. Annual average rip current fatalities are estimated to be ~100, 53 and 21in the United States (US), Costa Rica, and Australia respectively. While physical rip current behavior is relatively well understood, we know little about the social aspect of rip current hazards. Recent research shows that beachgoers drown from a combination of physical and social factors, with the latter related to beachgoer age, swimming ability, knowledge, and ability to spot a rip. The rip current hazard has been exacerbated by information disconnects between three groups: beach scientists, beach safety practitioners, and the general public. This project will use a mixed-methods approach to address these disconnects by combining novel methods of measuring rip current channel morphology and measured beachgoer knowledge to determine behavior from subject proximity to rip current channels. Results will help improve design of rip current education interventions in Australia, the United States and globally. The project will be overseen by Dr. Rob Brander, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales and noted rip current expert. Interviews will be analyzed for spatial relationships to rip hazard locations, as determined from bathymetric maps that will be created from multispectral imagery captured by Digital Globe?s WorldView2 (WV2) satellite. The depth of penetration for different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum captured by this satellite can be used to derive bathymetry. Because rips form in topographic lows in bathymetry, their location can be interpreted from channels in the surf zone. This method has the highest accuracy in clear waters like those around Sydney. Rip locations, combined with interview results and locations, will determine if subjects? observed behavior (choice in location within a beach) reflects their knowledge of beach dynamics. Results of this study will clarify how gaps between coastal geomorphologists, policy makers, and beachgoers can be bridged to lower rip-current related fatalities and injuries in Australia and the United States (US). This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Science.