The term “bedforms” is used for to describe rhythmic topographic features on the surface of granular beds. A wide variety of such features form in response to specific ranges of hydraulic conditions and grain size. Apart from their intrinsic scientific interest, bedforms are important in both geology and engineering. Large subaqueous bedforms can be obstacles to navigation, and their migration can be a threat to submarine structures. Bedforms also play an important role in determining the resistance to flow. Bedforms are also one of the most useful tools available for interpreting ancient sedimentary environments from outcrops.
When unidirectional flow operates on relatively fine-grained sand (less than 0.7 mm), the following bedforms appear in order as flow “strength” is increased: current ripples, dunes, upper-regime plane bed (absence of bedforms), antidunes, and cyclic steps. If the bed material is coarser than 0.7 mm, the ripple regime is replaced by lower-regime plane bed.
Under...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Bridge, J., and Demicco, R., 2008. Earth Surface Processes Landforms and Sediment Deposits. Cambridge, UK/New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 121–254. Chap. 5, 6, 7.
Garcia, M. H., 2008. Chapter 2 Sediment transport and morphodynamics. In: Garcia, M. H. (ed.), Sedimentation Engineering. ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers), pp. 21–163.
Leeder, M., 2011. Chapter 7 Bedforms and sedimentary structures in flows and under waves. In Leeder, M. (ed.), Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins, 2nd edn. Willey-Blackwell, pp. 132–170.
Southard, J.B., Chapter 12 Bed configurations. In Southard, J. B., 12.090 Introduction to Fluid Motions, Sediment Transport, and Current-Generated Sedimentary Structures, Fall 2006. (MIT OpenCourseWare: Massachusetts Institute of Technology), http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-090-introduction-to-fluid-motions-sediment-transport-and-current-generated-sedimentary-structures-fall-2006, 350-443.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this entry
Cite this entry
Yokokawa, M. (2016). Bed forms. In: Harff, J., Meschede, M., Petersen, S., Thiede, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6238-1_141
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6238-1_141
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6237-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6238-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences