Dear students,

On Friday the 29th of September 16:00 Daan Beelen, assistant professor at the department of physical geography, will give a FEST talk about:

A new theory for the origin and motion of bedforms
In my first FEST talk, I want to present a new theory on the formation and motion of bedforms. This theory is grounded entirely in geometric principles, thus departing from existing explanations that involve turbulent interactions between sediment grains and the fluid. My belief is that the formation of bedforms occurs at a more fundamental level and is actually a real-world mathematical expression of a simple principle: The inverse square law. I demonstrate this algebraically by showing that for any nonzero bedload transport, a sediment-covered surface must be raised at an angle, forming ripples and dunes. In a sense, dunes are naturally occurring graphs, enabling me to predict their speeds from measurements of their geometry.

Drinks will be provided afterwards in the canteen of the Vening Meinesz

With solid regards,

The 79th Board of the Utrecht Earth Sciences Association