Water flowing back and forth over sand quickly forms a field of dune-like wrinkles. On the upstream side, the flow is a little faster, and it picks up grains of Keep reading
Tag: sand ripples
Surge Flows
Sandy beaches can be a great place to play with neat flows. In a recent video, Frank Howarth describes playing with beach rivers on the Oregon coast and observing a Keep reading
The Winds of Mars
The Martian atmosphere is scant compared to Earth’s, but its winds still sculpt and change the surface regularly. The average atmospheric pressure on Mars is only 0.6% of Earth’s, and Keep reading
Martian Ripples
Earth and Mars both feature fields of giant sand dunes. The huge dunes are shaped by the wind and miniature avalanches of sand, and their surface is marked by small Keep reading
Sand Ripples in Tidal Flats
Sand, winds, and waves can interact to form remarkable and complex patterns. These sand ripples from the tidal flats of Cape Cod are a testament to such interactions. When a Keep reading