Quantifying the Form‐Flow‐Saltation Dynamics of Aeolian Sand Ripples

Journal article

Plain Language Summary: When wind blows over a sandy surface, it typically shapes the sediment into small wave‐like patterns known as ripples, which are typically a few millimeters high and tens of centimeters long. These ripples exist in sandy surfaces in coastal and desert areas on Earth as well as other planetary bodies. The height and spacing of ripples change with the velocity of the wind, with both the size and the speed at which the ripples move typically increasing at greater wind speeds. If we can relate the size and speed of ripple movement to wind conditions, then we can potentially infer the winds that formed the ripples by measuring the ripples rather than measuring the wind. This is particularly useful in environments where wind measurements are difficult or impossible. Here, we find that the height and movement (or migration rate) of ripples respond more quickly than the spacing between ripples to increases in wind speed or the orientation of the ripples when the wind direction changes. Consideration of the differing responses of ripple characteristics to changing wind conditions improves our ability to use their shape and size on Earth and other planets to quantify ripple dynamics and their formative winds.

Authors: Nield, JM; Baddock, MC; Wiggs, GFS; Best, J; Christensen, KT

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union
• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
• Volume: 130
• Issue: 10
• Article number: e2025JF008616
• Publication date: 2025-10-07
• Acceptance date: 2025-09-03
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jf008616
• EISSN: 2169-9011
• ISSN: 2169-9003
• Language: English
• Keywords: aeolian transport; saltation; aerodynamic roughness; ripple dynamics; terrestrial laser scanning