Field studies

I’ve been mesmerized by the patterns etched in sand after a falling tide (or combo of wind)- all the sands in this post were observed on the 2024 Winter Solstice (12/21/24) on a freezing day with biting winds.

These patterns are known as “bedforms” in geology, and are the result of wind or water currents (or both).

Differing directions of wind and water, grain size, etc. can result in complex formations and variations. Dunes are a type of bedform on a larger scale.

Fossilized bedforms can lend clues to weather and environmental conditions at the time of creation- more on that here.

The physics and technical details on how these patterns form is way over my head- many scientific papers can be found online if you’d like to dive in- I’ve included additional resources at the end of this section.

This GeologyIsTheWay.com post has the most accessible (to me) writeup on bedforms and the dynamics of their formation.

Some patterns are dendritic, branching out and out. Bed forms can be mathematically modeled, which is discussed here by J.M. Pacheco.

I think visualizing some of these patterns would make for a fun & challenging p5.js project.

Is this swirly whorly marbling considered a bedform? The marbling indicates sorting of the sand grains, settling horizontally and smoothly on the surface, rather than ridges. I assume some mix of silt/something lighter in weight than sand. And I think these patterns can be affected by water oozing upward toward the surface? I’d like to learn more about this marbling pattern~

Additional Reading

On the prediction of the characteristics of sand ripples at the bottom of sea waves

The Origin and Growth of Ripple-Mark

Beach sand ripples can be fingerprints for ancient weather conditions

How to read a North Carolina beach : bubble holes, barking sands, and rippled runnels

Aeolian sand sorting and megaripple formation [full text behind a paywall unfortunately]

Blown by wind: nonlinear dynamics of aeolian sand ripples [full text behind a paywall unfortunately]

made it this far? I appreciate you being here! let me know in the comments if you have any thoughts or suggestions.