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Sand waves at mouth of San Francisco Bay

Detailed Description

A field of giant sand waves, among the largest in the world, at the mouth of San Francisco Bay in California. This massive bed form field covers an area of approximately four square kilometers in water depths ranging from 30 to 106 meters, featuring more than 40 distinct sand waves with crests aligned approximately perpendicular to the dominant tidally generated cross-shore currents, with wavelengths and heights that measure up to 220 meters and 10 meters, respectively.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

Sand waves at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, California
Barnard, P.L., Hanes, D.M., Kvitek, R.G., and Iampietro, P.J., 2006, Sand waves at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2944, 5 p., URL: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2006/2944/.