Wind Ripples and Dunes: Aeolian
Wind Ripples and Dunes: Aeolian
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
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
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
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