2008 Volume 72 Issue 2 Pages 125-134
A series of wave-flume experiments was performed to examine ripple geometry, development, and migration under partially standing waves for five different intensities of wave reflection. The present experiments showed the cross-shore variation of the development and geometry of bedforms corresponding to the position of nodes and antinodes. The ripple field tended to initiate under nodes and spread from nodes to antinodes. The local-mean ripple spacings were the largest under nodes and the smallest under antinodes. The difference of the ripple development and the ripple spacing between nodes and antinodes became more pronounced with increasing the intensity of wave reflection. The local-mean ripple spacings in the present experiments correspond approximately with those predicted by Nielsen’s (1979, 1981) empirical formula. The trend of sediment transport predicted by ripple migration is consistent with the bed profiles at the end of each run. The geometry, development, and migration of ripples are a possible clue for understanding the cross-shore variation in local hydraulic conditions and mass sediment transport under partially standing waves.
