• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.218-229
• /
• 2016

The bedform stability diagram indicates the shape and size of bedforms that will occur to a given grain size and flow velocity. The diagram has been constructed from experimental data which have been mostly acquired by flume experiments. Generally, the flume experiments have been performed on well sorted sediments with unimodal grain size distribution, in order to understand relationship between grain size and flow velocity. According to the diagram, a ripple structure initiates to be formed from lower flow regime flat bed, as the flow velocity increases on the surface of fine-sand or medium-sand sediments. This study aims to verify that the experimental result of bedform stability diagram will be reproduced in our flume experimental systems, and also to confirm that the result is consistent not only on well-sorted sand sediments but also on poorly-sorted sand sediments with bimodal grain size distribution. The experimental results in this study show that initiation of 2D or 3D ripple structure on poorly-sorted sand sediments requires higher flow velocity and shear stress than those for initiation of the structure on well-sorted sand sediments. In general, carbonate sediments are characterized by poor sorting due to inactive hydraulic sorting and bimodal grain size distribution with allochems and matrices. The results suggest that the carbonate depositional system possibly need a higher flow velocity for initial formation of 2D or 3D bedform structures. The reason might be the fact that pulling off and lifting of a grain in poorly sorted sediments require more energy due to sorting, friction, stabilization, armour effects, and their complex interaction. This preliminary study warrants additional experiments under various conditions and more accurate analysis on the relationship between formation of bedforms and grain size distribution.