Ripple effect: Unforeseen applications of sand studies

Sand ripples and their deposits are playing a crucial role in unraveling the history of flowing water on Mars, conducting experimental floods to restore beaches in the Grand Canyon, and improving the ability to detect explosive mines buried beneath the seafloor. Even the visionary geologists who discovered the origins of ripples and ripple stratification could never have imagined these future applications of their work. Sand ripples formed by blowing wind and flowing water have been studied for almost 150 years. This article briefly reviews some key discoveries in understanding ripples, reviews three studies that are currently utilizing ripples, and illustrates how simple fundamental discoveries have unexpected practical applications.