ripple mark

noun

, Geology.

1. one of the wavy lines or ridges produced, especially on sand, by the action of waves, wind, or the like.
2. one of such forms preserved in sandstone or siltstone.

ripple mark

noun

1. one of a series of small wavy ridges of sand formed by waves on a beach, by a current in a sandy riverbed, or by wind on land: sometimes found fossilized on bedding planes of sedimentary rock

Word History and Origins

Origin of ripple mark¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Despite the tsunami’s width, no one has ever found ripple marks formed by the wave before.

From Science News

Those dunes look nearly identical to the ripple marks buried beneath Louisiana, except for their size, Kinsland says, supporting the notion that the taller structures were also produced by a tsunami, though one of a much larger magnitude.

From Science News

The asteroid impact that slew the dinosaurs may have also indirectly sculpted the largest ripple marks ever found on Earth.

From Science News

What is known as the "ripple-mark" in sandstone surfaces may be produced in various ways.

From Project Gutenberg

Already the vast temple of Avebury has all but disappeared, like an old ripple-mark of the tide of time.

From Project Gutenberg