Saltations: Dramatic and transient patterns developed in the sand by currents, tides and strong winds. I’m constantly in awe of the intricate patterns that form in the dunes and along the shoreline. An excerpt from Scientific American reads, “Ripples in sand are one of nature's most ubiquitous and spectacular examples of self-organization. They arise when wind blows strongly enough to entrain grains of sand into the wind. The subsequent hopping and leaping of these grains is called saltation.” -Robert S. Anderson; Professor of Earth Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz.