Experimental study of clear water scouring around a circular cylinder shows that the scour mechanism is coupled to the three‐dimensional separation of the upstream boundary layer and the periodic vortex shedding in the wake of the cylinder. The first scour appears in the wake of the cylinder. The main scouring agent in the upstream region is a system of horseshoe vortices. The vortices have a periodical character that causes a triple‐scour profile to develop in the upstream region. During scouring, the number and periods of horseshoe vortex shedding undergo no appreciable change. Despite the clear water stage, the transport phenomenon is periodical. Transport of sediment takes place through turbulent scales of comparable size to macro‐length scales. The size of the horseshoe vortices are representative for the macroscale. Wake scouring is caused by the primary wake vortices and the accelerated side flow. The process is characterized by a strong periodical transport and the formation of ripples. The period...