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Ripple, ripple mark, ripple structure

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Encyclopedia of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Ripples, ripple marks, or ripple structures can be defined as small-scale, flow-transverse ridges of silt or sand produced by fluid shear at the boundary between moving water or air and an erodible sediment bed. Principal ripple types are current ripples, formed by unidirectional water flows, wave ripples, generated by oscillatory wave action, and wind ripples, formed by eolian currents (see Desert Sedimentary Environments). Large-scale equivalents of ripples are dunes (see Surface Forms).

Basic concepts

Ripple marks are quasi-triangular in vertical cross-section parallel to flow direction (Figures R6(A),(C–E)) or wave propagation (Figure R6b). Current ripples are asymmetric, with gentle upstream face (stoss side) and steep downstream face (lee side) approaching or at angle-of-repose. Individual current ripples can be up to 60 cm long and 6 cm high, but the mean length and height of a field of current ripples are usually <20 cm and <2 cm, respectively. Wave ripples are...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Jaco H. Baas

Authors
  1. Jaco H. Baas
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Geology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Gerard V. Middleton

  2. Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T IZ2, Canada

    Michael J. Church

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G I, Canada

    Mario Coniglio

  4. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA

    Lawrence A. Hardie

  5. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada

    Frederick J. Longstaffe

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© 1978 Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc.

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Baas, J.H. (1978). Ripple, ripple mark, ripple structure. In: Middleton, G.V., Church, M.J., Coniglio, M., Hardie, L.A., Longstaffe, F.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_172

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_172

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-0872-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3609-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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