The various types of bed roughness that are formed by the interaction between the flowing water and a sand bed form distinctive but complex sedimentary structures. The resultant forms of bed roughness and sedimentary structures are related to many variables such as regime of flow, channel geometry, velocity, and the characteristics of the sediment. By studying the characteristics of the sedimentary structures, it is possible to determine quantitatively the magnitude of many of these variables. The characteristics of the sediment can be determined by analyzing samples from the sedimentary structures. The regimes of flow and forms of bed roughness can be identified from the cross-bedding of the sedimentary structures. The spacing and amplitude of these structures indicate v locity and depth of flow at the time of deposition. From relations describing channel geometry and with preceding information, channel width can be determined approximately. Last, knowing channel geometry, type of bed roughness, and the characteristics of the sediment, various sediment transport relations can be used to estimate the total bed-material discharge.

In summary, utilizing knowledge of the relations between bed forms, bars, sedimentary structures, hydraulic variables, sediment variables, sediment discharge, and channel geometry, it is possible to determine quantitatively many of the hydraulic and hydrologic characteristics of the depositional environment that formed the sedimentary structures.

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