Ripple marks

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In geology, ripple marks are sedimentary structures that indicate agitation by wind or waves. They consist of two basic types:

  1. Current ripple marks are aysmmetrical in profile, and consist of a gentle upcurrent slope and a steep downcurrent one.
  2. Wave-formed ripple marks have a symmetrical, almost sinusoidal profile; they indicate an environment with weak currents that's dominated by wave oscillations.

Ripple marks tend to be small, on the order of a few centimeters; however, there are enormous ones, such as those characteristic of the Channeled Scablands, with wavelengths as long as 100 meters.

[edit] Reference

  • Monroe, James S., and Reed Wicander. The Changing Earth: Exploring Geology and Evolution, 2nd ed. Belmont: West Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 0-314-09577-2 pp. 114-15, 352.


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