Sand

Overview

Sand is a combination of broken-down grains of rock and minerals that forms from weathering. It may also contain biogenic material, like shells, coral, seaweed, or more. Grains smaller than sand are silt and grains larger are gravel. The word sand comes from the Proto-Germanic word sandam. [2]

Formation

Sand is the result of the breakdown of a variety of inorganic and organic materials. It is broken down via physical and chemical weathering. This could be from water, air, or other sand grains. It could be weathered chemically by minerals reacting with water, or other substances. Physical and chemical weathering tend to be a bit indistinguishable from each other when it comes to the formation of sand. [1] They support each other and occur at the same time. The older the grains, the smoother they are, young grains typically have sharper edges. [4]

Composition

It ranges in size from 1/16th to 2mm. [1] One of the most common possible materials is Quartz, although it can be composed of a large variety of minerals and materials. The most common tan beach sand is composed of quartz, some form of iron oxide (this reacts with oxygen to form red/tan material), feldspar, and other assorted rocks, minerals, or organic materials. [3] Many different locations around the world are known for their distinctly colored sand, like Pink sand from Utah, black sand from volcanic areas, green sand from Hawaii, etc.

References

[1] Sepp, Siim. "What is Sand" SandAtlas.org, Retrieved April 10, 2021, from https://www.sandatlas.org/sand/

[2] Harper, Douglas. “Sand.” Online Etymology Library, Etymonline.com, from www.etymonline.com/word/sand.

[3] NOAA. "How does sand form?" National Ocean Service, oceanservice.noaa.gov, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sand.html

[4] Adams, Dennis. "Beach Sand: What Is It, Where It Comes and How It Gets Here" Beaufort County Library, from https://web.archive.org/web/20091201183346/http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/htdocs-sirsi/beachsan.htm

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