Weather Dictionary / Glossary of Terms

Rip Current


   Weather TermDescription / Definition
   Rip Current A relatively small-scale surf-zone current moving away from the beach. Rip currents form as waves disperse along the beach causing water to become trapped between the beach and a sandbar or other underwater feature. The water converges into a narrow, river-like channel moving away from the shore at high speed.


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Data courtesy of NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration