Ripple marks are generally depositional features (formed at a fluid/sediment interface), more or less regular and repetitive, and typically having a spacing greater than about 7 mm, up to a few meters. Most examples occur in coarse silt, sand, or fine gravel.
The term giant ripple mark has been applied to certain large depositional features; terms such as beach cusp , beach pad , bar, and dune represent accumulations that are excluded from the ripple mark category. An early systematic treatment was given by Kindle (1917).
A compact classification of ripple mark types includes the following: elementary ripple marks—wave-formed (water only), currentformed (water; air); flat-topped ripple marks (water only); windrow ridges (water; possibly air); washover crescents (water only); composite ripple marks (see Rooster Tail); helical cell ripple marks (parallel with current; water or possibly air); swash zone ripple marks.
Other varieties, subdivisions, and combinations are sketched (Fig. 1),...
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References
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Tanner, W.F. (1982). Ripple marks . In: Beaches and Coastal Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30843-1_374
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