Sand Sculptures
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GIFTS MADE of SAND !
Interesting FACTS
about SAND
(and fun trivia!)
Thanks
to Jane Carlson-Pickering & Dr. Dave Douglas:
Pasadena C.C., California
WHAT IS SAND?
SAND is a sediment (together with gravel,
silt, & clay) which is formed by the
chemical and mechanical breakdown of various
rocks, minerals, Seashells, coral, & the skeletons of small marine organisms
(known as plankton). This material is eroded by time and transported (sometimes
over great distances) by wind, water, or ice. Sand can make up the bottom of lakes
& rivers, create desert dunes, the Sea floor, and line the edges of Oceans
~ (our favorite) ~ the fun & beautiful BEACHES!
Black Sand Beach, Maui
Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas
The sand contents depend on the area:
some are formed by volcanic rock
and volcanic glass...For instance, the black sand beaches of Hawaii & California
are high in iron, aluminum, and basalt. Some sand is actually
magnetic, because it contains magnetite. A shiny white
beach is due to a high quartz content, feldspar will produce an
orange-colored beach or desert, and in rare instances
(such as Guam & Hawaii)
green
sand beaches exist because of olivine crystals (also a volcanic
product). Harbour
Island, Bahamas, has a pink sand beach!
Sahara Desert, Africa
Green Sand Beach, Guam
Mojave Desert Sunrise, Nevada
Sandstone Formation, New Mex.
By closely examining sand, you can determine its texture by size,
rounding, and sorting, in addition to the type of organic particles present. The
distance it has traveled can be estimated, as well as the source of origin. "Rounding"
indicates that it has traveled a long way, because the sharp edges have been worn
down by rubbing against other materials. "Sorting" is the separation according to
size / well-sorted would indicate that the grains are almost all the same; usually
transferred by wind or water. Ice can move all sizes of sediment equally (from giant
boulders down to clay).
In many Tropical regions & Islands, the sand is usually made up
primarily of calcium, because Seashells & coral from reefs have been broken
down to form beaches (like in Tahiti).
Inland lake, pond, river, and stream sands are mostly silicon - the
silicate rocks there eroded over an extremely long period of time (in some cases
- millions of years).
In Southwest Africa, on the Namibia coast, the sand is a girl's
best friend - it contains
diamond fragments!!!
*
**
An "Arenophile"
is the proper title of a person who collects & studies sand ***
Did you know? > If a batch of sand has a high amount of
silica (a clear material) it can be melted at high temperatures TO MAKE GLASS!
SANDSATIONAL & SANDTASTIC!
*Pictures above courtesy of Sara Boczar, Sea World*
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Featured Items
Where Is Sand Art?
Ripley's "Believe It or Not!"
Orlando, FL
Gatorland Theme Park
Orlando, FL
Shell World (Hwy 192)
KIssimmee, FL
Orange World (Hwy 192)
Kissimmee, FL
Beach Bazaar (A1A)
N. Daytona Beach, FL
Coastal Loco (A1A)
S. Daytona Beach, FL
GYFTZ (Flagler Ave.)
New Smyrna Beach, FL
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* Just To Name a Few *
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