Sand ripples in Maszhabiya (Al Mashabiya) Reserve near Abu Samra. Southern Qatar, May 20, 2016
Ripples on wet sand in Solnechnoe, west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 20, 2019
Sand ripples on a beach in Solnechnoe, west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 20, 2019
Beach sand ripples at Deepwater Pt. in Demarest - Lloyd Memorial State Park at low tide. Dartmouth, Massachusetts, November 13, 2003
Sand ripples east of Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 12, 2016
Texture of sand ripples on a beach east of Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 12, 2016
Sand ripples on a sandy bar at low tide in French Beach (42 km Beach), on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 4, 2010
Sand ripples at sunrise on roadside of Salwa Road in area of Khashem Al Nekhsh. Qatar, November 27, 2015
A rocky beach and dry sand ripples at the end of River Road in Acoaxet. Westport, Massachusetts, April 6, 2004
Sand ripples at low tide in Long Point Beach in Cape Cod. Provincetown, Massachusetts, February 5, 2005.
Sand ripples and rocky northern tip of Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim) at low tide. Al Khor, Qatar, April 2, 2016
Sand mounds and ripples near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand ripples on French Beach (42 km Beach) in Marouna, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 19, 2016
Beach sand ripples at low tide in Demarest - Lloyd State Park. Dartmouth, Massachusetts, November 14, 2004
Cornulaca monacantha with sand ripples on roadside of Salwa Road in area of Rawdat Ekdaim. Southern Qatar, April 11, 2015
Sand ripples at windy evening on Horseneck Beach. Westport, Massachusetts, December 17, 2004
Windblown sand mounds and ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Windblown sand with ripples in area of Jebel Al-Nakhsh (Khashm an Nakhsh). South-western Qatar, March 25, 2016
Sand ripples at low tide in French Beach (42 km Beach), on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 4, 2010
Sand ripples on a beach near Sestroretsk, a suburb of Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 19, 2011
Sand ripples near Sestroretsk, a suburb of Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 19, 2011
Tidal flat and sand ripples at the end of River Road. Acoaxet, Massachusetts, March 13, 2004.
Sand ripples on a beach. Kurort, west from Saint Petersburg, Russia, May 31, 2014
Sand ripples at low tide in Long Point Beach in Cape Cod. Provincetown, Massachusetts, February 5, 2005.
Sand mounds and ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand ripples on a beach east of Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 12, 2016
Beach sand ripples at low tide in Demarest - Lloyd State Park. Dartmouth, Massachusetts, November 14, 2004
A lobster pot, sand ripples and beach grass at sunset on Horseneck Beach. Westport, Massachusetts, December 17, 2004
Sand ripples near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
A lobster pot and sand ripples at evening on Horseneck Beach. Westport, Massachusetts, December 17, 2004
Sand ripples in area of Jebel Al-Nakhsh (Khashm an Nakhsh). South-western Qatar, March 25, 2016
Tidal flat and sand ripples at the end of River Road. Acoaxet, Massachusetts, March 13, 2004.
Sand ripples on a beach in Abu Samra, near the border. Southern Qatar, November 29, 2014
Sand ripples after windy weather near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand and sky ripples in area of Jebel Al-Nakhsh (Khashm an Nakhsh). South-western Qatar, March 25, 2016
Pattern of sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Wavy pattern of sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Sand and cloud ripples in area of Jebel Al-Nakhsh (Khashm an Nakhsh). South-western Qatar, March 25, 2016
Sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Texture of sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Car tracks on sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Wavy pattern of sand ripples and sand mounds with plants of Seidlitzia rosmarinus at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Ripples on a sand mound near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand ripples and low dunes at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Sand ripples covered by iron oxide film on a beach. Kurort, west from Saint Petersburg, Russia, May 31, 2014
Sand ripples near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand ripples and sand mounds at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed, view to north-west. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Pattern of sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, July 10, 2015
Sand ripples near a traditional columned peristyle (liwan) in area of Lijmiliya wells in Al Jumayliyah (Jamilla, Aljumileh). Western Qatar, November 21, 2015
Rippled sand layer at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Wavy sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Wavy sand ripples and low mounds with plants of Seidlitzia rosmarinus at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Camel s tracks crossing vehicle s tracks over wavy sand ripples at sunrise near Sealine Beach Resort near Mesaieed. Southern Qatar, December 11, 2015
Sand ripples at sunrise in Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 17, 2021
Sand ripples on a beach in Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 17, 2021
Sand ripples on a beach of Gulf of Finland in Solnechnoe, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, May 17, 2021
Sand ripples on Laskovyi Beach in Solnechnoe, west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, August 7, 2024
Sand ripples at low tide on Laskovyi Beach in Solnechnoe, west from Saint Petersburg. Russia, August 7, 2024
Intricate patterns in the sand that are wave-formed ripples (also known as oscillation ripples), which provide a frozen snapshot of the water s movement just before the tide or water level receded. They are formed by the back-and-forth oscillatory motion of water particles at the bottom of shallow waves. As a wave passes, water moves sand grains forward and then backward, piling them into these neat, parallel ridges. The crests (ridges) of the ripples run parallel to the shoreline, which is typical for wave-formed ripples as they align perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. The preservation of such sharp ripple crests indicates the water receded gently, likely during a calm period after the windier conditions that initially formed them. Sestroretsk near Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 9, 2025
