Wind Ripples and

Aeolian Dunes
Remember: „ Desert Environment: saltation
millet-seed
grains help
and surface creep
to identify ‹ Ripples are asymmetric, straight
aeolian crested, some bifurcation
environment ‹ R.I. much higher than subaqueous
bedforms (less air resistance)
‹ Most important structures in aeolian
environment: Dunes
Distinguishing
Subaqueous and Aeolian
Dunes
„ Aeolian
‹ Steeper foreset angle: 35°
‹ Thicker foresets: few m’s to 30 m’s
Aeolian Cross Bedding
 Barchan Dunes
Aeolian
„ Lunate
„ Form normal to wind direction
„ Asymmetric cross section (shallow
stoss, steep lee)
„ Grains creep up stoss and
avalanche down lee

Internally: cross-bedding facing

wind direction
Barchan Dunes
 Seif Dunes
Aeolian
„ Highly elongated in direction of
wind
„ Foresets perpendicular to flow
direction

Internally: chevron effect cross

bedding
Aeolian
Other Dune Shapes
„ Transverse: oriented perpendicular
to wind direction
„ Star: occur where wind direction
changes frequently
„ Draa: similar to dunes but much
larger: λ = km’s, h = 10’s m
Primary Dune Types
Erosional Sedimentary
Structures
„ 2 types:
‹ Object striking surface

‹ Erosion by water flow (Sole

Structures)
Impact Groove mark.
Structures „

‹ Object impacts with surface and is

dragged along it.
‹ Common on underside of
sandstone beds over muds.
‹ Sometimes isolated, sometimes
parallel swarms.
‹ Common at turbidite bases and
river flood plains.
Impact
Groove Marks
Structures
Impact Rain pits on mudstone
Structures

Common in continental and

shoreline mud deposits
 Sole structures: General
Structures „

Formed by ‹ Top of mud: erosion and infilling by

Flow sand
‹ Commonly see these on base of
sst beds
Structures Channel Scours
Formed by ‹ Channels erode base leaving
Flow characteristic channel lag deposits
‹ N.B. bedding truncated
Structures Flute Marks
Formed by ‹ Heel-shaped sole structure with
Flow bulbous end facing upstream
‹ Frequently found in swarms

‹ Swarm flutes generally all same size

and orientation

‹ Formation:
‹ Flow detachment – erosion by
turbulent sand laden flow over
cohesive muds
‹ Flow leaves sed surface at
upstream rim of flute
‹ Eddy forms preventing deposition
in eroding hollow
Flute Marks: diagram
 Very common at
Flute marks: turbidite bases
images
Very good flow
direction indicator
Soft Sediment
Deformation Structures
„ Mainly sand-mud interface
phenomena

‹ Load Casts
‹ Flame Structures

‹ Ball and pillow structures

‹ Dewatering structures:
 Contorted bedding
 Sand volcanoes
 Dish and pillar structures
Soft
Sediment Load Casts
Deformation
„ Sand overlying mud: mud contains
more water; sand more dense.
„ For equilibrium, sand moves
downwards, producing loads.
Soft
Sediment
Deformation
Load Casts
Soft Flame Structures
Sediment
Deformation
„ As sand sinks into mud: streamers
of mud move upwards: Flame
Structures
Soft
Sediment
Deformation
Soft Pseudonodules
Sediment
Deformation „ As sand continues to sink into the
mud, eventual detachment to form
Pseudonodule.
Soft Ball & Pillow structure
Sediment
Deformation „ Whole layer collapses : mix of
round and tabular shapes: Ball and
Pillow Structures
„ Usually shock related:
„ Earthquake

„ Waves crashing onto sediment

Soft
Sediment
Deformation Ball & Pillow: image
Soft Dewatering
Sediment
Deformation „ Common cause of soft sediment
deformation
„ If rapid occurrence: can cause
formation of Contorted or Chaotic
Bedding
Soft
Sediment
Deformation
Sand Volcanoes
„ Reverse situation: mud overlying
sand.
„ Mud: impermeable so water from
sand cannot escape vertically
„ Pressure builds up
„ Water moves rapidly up a fault to
the surface forming a sand volcano
and dyke (Neptunian Dyke)
Sand Volcanoes: structure
Sand
Volcanoes:
image
Soft
Sediment
Deformation Dish & Pillar Structures

„ Water may not be able to move

upwards (compaction, low
permeability layer)
„ Moves laterally until it finds a break
it can exploit
„ Dish and Pillar structures result
Dessication Structures
„ Mud cracks:
‹ Mud dries out and cracks
‹ Sand fills in the spaces

‹ Indicator of subaerial exposure of

muds.
Mud Cracks (Plan View)
Mud Cracks (Side View)
Beware of
Pseudostructures!

„ Leisegang Rings
 Useful texts
„ Tucker, M.E. 1982. Sedimentary Petrology. Blackwell
Scientific Publications
„ Middleton & Hampton 1973: Flow Types
„ De Raaf 1977 Sedimentology 24, p. 451-483
„ Jones & Preston 1987. Geol. Soc. Ondon Special
Publication 29. : Soft sediment deformation