EAPSI: Evaluating Beachgoer Vulnerability to the Rip Current Hazard

裂流是一种强大的、狭窄的流向海洋的水流，起源于全球许多海滩的冲浪区。它们与每年数百起国际溺水事件有关，但由于难以获得准确的事件报告，因此很难计算确切的数字。美国、哥斯达黎加和澳大利亚的年平均激流死亡人数估计分别为100、53和21人。虽然物理撕裂电流的行为是相对较好的理解，我们知道的社会方面的撕裂电流的危害。最近的研究表明，海滩游客溺水是由身体和社会因素共同作用的结果，后者与海滩游客的年龄、游泳能力、知识和发现裂口的能力有关。由于三个群体之间的信息脱节，离岸流的危害加剧了：海滩科学家，海滩安全从业人员和公众。该项目将使用混合方法的方法，以解决这些断开相结合的新方法，测量RIP电流通道形态和测量的海滩游客的知识，以确定从主题接近RIP电流通道的行为。研究结果将有助于改善澳大利亚、美国和全球的教育干预措施的设计。该项目将由新南威尔士大学副教授Rob Brander博士监督，他是著名的RIP电流专家。将分析访谈的空间关系，撕裂危险位置，确定从水深地图，将创建从多光谱图像捕获的数字地球仪？WorldView2（WV2）卫星。该卫星捕获的电磁频谱不同波段的穿透深度可用于推算水深。因为在水深测量中，裂沟形成于地形低点，所以可以从碎波带的河道中解释裂沟的位置。这种方法在像悉尼周围的清澈沃茨中具有最高的准确性。撕裂位置，结合面试结果和地点，将决定是否受试者？观察到的行为（在海滩内的位置选择）反映了它们对海滩动态的了解。这项研究的结果将阐明如何弥合海岸地貌学家，政策制定者和海滩游客之间的差距，以降低澳大利亚和美国（US）的裂流相关的伤亡。这个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.