Physical Model for Small Scale Sandwaves Migration in the North Gulf of South China Sea

The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of small scale sand-wave migration. According to the environmental characteristic of the north gulf of South China Sea, a quasi-3D mechanics model has been built for simulating the small scale sand wave migration. The calculation results are shown to be consistent with the observed data in the trough of sand ridge. Considering the effect of environmental actions and sand wave features, we develop an effective formula to predict sand-wave migration. It is indicated that the physical models should be used to predict the migration of the small scale sand-wave, which is rarely dominated by wave activity.