The flow pattern of abrasive materials in soil, sod, and/or sand around the nose, ogive, and/or bearing surface of a bullet generated during penetration into and ricochet from such materials. This characteristic pattern is uniquely associated with ricochets from soil, sand, or sod that have yielded to the bullet’s impact and allowed the bullet to enter into the substrate to some depth before departing the substrate. It is most noticeable on the ogive of the bullet, but may extend back along the bearing surface as well. This type of marking takes its name from the similarity of the flow pattern of water off the bow of a boat.
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