01-05 December 2025
INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-07-0182 |
| Title of Abstract | Satellite-Based Detection and Persistence Mapping of Hazardous Rip Current Zones Along Major Beaches of the Visakhapatnam Coast, India |
| Authors | Sivaiah B*, Vijay P, Sudheer Joseph, Venkateswara Rao K, Karthik T.N.C, , Chandra Sekhar V,, Siva Srinivas K, Acharyulu PSN, Hari Kumar R, Nagaraja Kumar M, Ajay Kumar B, Balakrishnan Nair T.M. |
| Organisation | Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) |
| Address | Pragathi Nagar, Near 3 Monkey Circle Hyderabad, Telangana, India Pincode: 500090 E-mail: s.borra-p@incois.gov.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Rip currents pose a persistent hazard to coastal recreation worldwide and are a leading cause of nearshore drownings, with negative impacts on tourism and public safety. The Visakhapatnam coast, particularly RK (Rama Krishna) Beach, records highest rip current related drownings, highlighting the need for systematic detection and mapping. Generally, lifeguards rely on globally recognized visual clues, such as gaps in breaking waves, seaward plumes of turbulent water, churning surfaces, scalloped embayments, and rips near coastal structures, to detect rip currents. Building on these established indicators, this study presents a satellite-based methodology for the systematic identification and mapping of hazardous rip current zones along major visakhapatnam beaches, including RK, Rushikonda, Yarada, Bheemili, Sagar Nagar, and Jodugullapalem. Leveraging high-resolution optical satellite imagery from Sentinel-2, ResourceSat-2 LISS-IV, and Google Earth collected between 2016 and 2024, this approach integrates manual interpretation with AI/ML detection techniques to enhance detection accuracy, persistence analysis, and the spatial-temporal understanding of rip current dynamics. The identified rip locations are validated through correlation with historical drowning records, while the surf similarity parameter calculated from beach morphology and offshore wave data serves to confirm the type of beach stages conducive to rip current formation. Based on the recurrent occurrences of rip currents, seasonal and annual frequency analyses reveal persistent hotspots, including the Aqua Sports complex and Kursura submarine area at RK Beach, North Rushikonda, South Yarada, and North Bheemili, with peak frequencies during pre-monsoon, southwest monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. The integration of additional archival and high-resolution imagery, alongside ongoing AI/ML model development, may improve detection accuracy and reduce false positives, enabling near real-time satellite-driven advisories and automated alerts that provide lifeguards and coastal managers with timely information to safeguard beachgoers and promote safe tourism. |
| Are you part of IIOE-2 endorsed project | no |
| Keywords | Rip current hotspots, Persistence, satellite, surf similarity, AI/ML |
| For Awards | yes |
| Date Of Birth | 28-12-1991 |
| ECSN Registration Number | IIOE2-ECSN-0132 |