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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms pp 1–6Cite as

Aeolian Ripple

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Definition

Small (centimeter to meter wavelength) aeolian bedforms, commonly occurring in trains, created by the mobilization and accumulation of sand-sized grains into roughly parallel ridges that are typically oriented transverse to the direction of the wind.

A type of ripple; A type of aeolian deposit; A type of bedform

Description

Ripples are small, regularly repeated depositional bedforms consisting of sand-sized grains that develop almost anywhere that sand and wind occur together (Greeley and Iversen 1985). Ripples generally form transverse to the wind direction and their straight to slightly sinuous crests generally end or bifurcate within a few meters (Greeley and Iversen 1985, p. 149). Aeolian ripples have wavelengths from 0.01 to 20 m, heights from a few mm to 1 m, and indices between 12 and 50 (Leeder 1982). Unlike dunes, ripples lack slip faces (Thomas 1989; Greeley and Iversen 1985). The coarsest and finest grains are concentrated at the crests and troughs, respectively...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

    Sharon A. Wilson

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  1. Sharon A. Wilson
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Correspondence to Sharon A. Wilson .

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Wilson, S.A. (2014). Aeolian Ripple. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_462-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_462-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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