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Welcome to "Sands of the World." I am a naturalist, a lover of nature and all its wonders. To me there is beauty and wonder in everything. What appears to most people as just dust is a treasure to me. I would like to invite you into my world, to learn to see the sands beneath your feet and between your toes for the great wonder and treasure that it is. Send me you sand and let me show you its glory and great wonder! There is, indeed, gold, diamonds and great treasure right under your feet and you may not even know it.
Sand is basically micorscopic grains of rock. Within sand you can see the result of millions of years of weathering and erosion by wind and water, the mountains of the past turned to dust. In a single one gram sample of sand you can find gold, diamonds and the treasures of the land upon which you walk, that which makes the mountains upon the horizon and the crust of the earth beneath your feet.
In a single gram of sand there may be as many as 6-million grains of sand; in 1,145 grams of sand you would have approximately 6.87-billion grains of sand, one for each person in the world (as of 26 Sept. 2010 see World Pop. Clock)! That's a lot of sand grains and a lot of people! I actually weighed out this amount of sand so I could better comprehend what 8-billion plus people might look like. It's a staggering number and once seen in the form of a jar full of 8-billion sand grains, made me appreciate better the effect upon the planet Earth that this number of people may be having; i.e., a disasterous effect resulting in global warming from the burning of fossil fuesl, the pollution of rivers, streams and the ocean, and the potential for global pandemics and other disasters on a scale never seen by humanity! Hence this makes a good argument for all nations taking action to control their own populations such that every man, woman and child may have a quality life for the duration of their life time!
The composition of sand represents the surrounding geology and in cases of beaches and river deltas may represent the geology of entire continents. So in a single teaspoonful of sand (about 25 ml by volumn) you may hold a minature rock collection of an entire continent!
Sand is not all the same. In fact, sand exist in great variety. The sand from a volcanic island differs from the sand of eroded gypsum mountains. To the naked eye sand may appear black, white, red, yellow or any variety of color in between. But when you put that sand under a microscope and magnify it, you can begin to see the great beauty and wonder of what appears only as sand to the naked eye.
Sand is not just sand, so much worthless dust to the wise man, but is the foundation upon which great temples may be build, including the philosophy of the infinite nature of the universe or such great wisdom as is reflected in Sands of the World, a gallery of photomicrographic inspirations.
I would like to ask people around the world to send me samples of sand from their area. I would like to observe and photograph samples of sand from around the world. You may send me small samples of dry sand in a small vial or Zip-lock bag placed in a tightly sealed envelope. Please label the sand with the date collected, location (city/state) and your name/address. A very easy way to provide a small sample of sand is to simply coat a piece of plastic tape with sand by pressing the tape to the sand, then placing the tape inside a small envelope and label it. I would also like to have a photograph of the beach or other location where sand samples are collected. I would like to receive sand samples from beaches, river banks, deltas, sand dunes, deserts and other areas around the world. Over time I will photograph the sand and post the pictures upon this site so that everyone may enjoy it.
I would also enjoy seeing photographs of great sand dune formations or other pictorial examples of sand, sand stone sculptures or sand stone monoliths as created by nature or man. Also I am interested in videos which relate to sand and philosophy and quotes from great philosophers related to sand as a metaphore for life. You may also send photographs which show you on location where sand samples were collected as posting these may add interest to the site. You can even make a short video, upload it to YouTube (www.youtube.com) and send me the link to feature. In this way over time I will be able to make a very interesting site about Sands of the World.
The Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado is a spectacular site which features the tallest sand dunes in North America. The author has also visited other great sand dune formations including those represented by: White Sands National Monument, New Mexico; Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah; Warrne Dunes S.P., Michigan; as well as many of the beautiful white sand dunes and beaches found in numerous Florida State Parks and other Gulf of Mexico coastal parks
Please contact Terry if you would like to send him photographs or samples of the sand from your beach. Samples of sand are needed from every major world desert and/or major sand dune formations. The author would also like photographs and sand from world famous beaches. Thank you in advance for your contribution and help.
In a one gram sample of sand there may be up to six million grains of sand. The size of sand grains may vary from about 1/16 mm (0.0625 mm) to 2 mm. There is about 7.7 grams of sand in a teaspoonful of dry sand.
According to Wikipedia Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. Sand is a naturally occurring, finely divided rock, comprising particles or granules ranging in size from 0.0625 (or 1/16 mm) to 2 millimeters. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain. The next smaller size class in geology is silt: particles below 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm in size. The next larger size class above sand is gravel, with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm (see particle size for standards in use). Sand feels gritty when rubbed between the fingers (silt feels like flour). Sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on size: very fine sand (1/16 - 1/8 mm), fine sand (1/8 mm - 1/4 mm), medium sand (1/4 mm - 1/2 mm), coarse sand (1/2 mm - 1 mm), and very coarse sand (1 mm - 2 mm). These sizes are based on the ? sediment size scale, where size in ? = -log base 2 of size in mm. On this scale sand is from ? = -1 to 4, with the divisions between sub-categories at whole numbers.
The most common constituent of sand, in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings, is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz, which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness, is resistant to weathering. The composition of sand varies according to local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are ground-up limestone. Arkose is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content which is derived from the weathering and erosion of a (usually nearby) granite. Some locations have sands that contain magnetite, chlorite, glauconite or gypsum. Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts. The chlorite-glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from basalts (lavas) with a high olivine content. The gypsum sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones.
Transport
Sand is transported by wind and water and deposited in the form of beaches, dunes, sand spits, sand bars, and the like.
Study of sand
Study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin, kind of transport, etc of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is erosion transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface.
Uses of sand
* Sand is often a principal component of concrete.
* Molding sand, also known as foundry sand, is moistened or oiled and then shaped into molds for sand casting. This type of sand must be able to withstand high temperatures and pressure, allow gases to escape, have a uniform, small grain size and be non-reactive with metals.
* Graded sand is used as an abrasive in sandblasting and is also used in media filters for filtering water.
* Brick manufacturing plants use sand as an additive with a mixture of clay and other materials for manufacturing bricks.
* Sand is sometimes mixed with paint to create a textured finish for walls and ceilings or a non-slip floor surface.
* Sandy soils are ideal for certain crops such as watermelons, peaches, and peanuts and are often preferred for intensive dairy farming because of their excellent drainage characteristics.
* Sand is used in landscaping, it is added to make small hills and slopes (for example, constructing golf courses).
* It is the principal component in glass manufacturing.
* It is often transported to popular beaches where seasonal tides sweep its original sand into the sea.
* Sandbags are used for protection against floods and gun fire. They can be easily transported when empty, then filled with local sand.
* Sand castle building is a popular activity. There are competitive sand castle building competitions (See sand art and play).
* Sand animation is a type of performance art and a technique for creating animated films.
* Aquaria are often lined with sand instead of gravel. This is a low cost alternative which some believe is better than gravel.
* Railroads use sand to improve the traction of wheels on the rails.
Hazards of sand
While sand is generally harmless, one must take care with some activities involving sand such as sandblasting. Bags of silica sand now carry labels warning the user to wear respiratory protection and avoid breathing the fine silica dust. There have been a number of lawsuits in recent years where workers have developed silicosis, a lung disease caused by inhalation of fine silica particles over long periods of time. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for silica sand state that "excessive inhalation of crystalline silica is a serious health concern".
In the natural environment, sand sometimes mixes with water or a similar liquid substance, to form quicksand. Quicksand, once dried, produces a considerable barrier to escape for creatures caught within, who often die from exposure as a result.
Good places to collect sand are at a beach, along river banks or anywhere that sand dunes may form. Sand may be cleaned by sifting through a screen which will remove larger rocks, gravel and organic matter. Sand may be washed with water to remove any silt (particles smaller than sand) which will become suspended in water with the heavier, larger sand grains falling to the bottom of a container. Wash sand until the water is clear and only clean grains of sand remain in the bottom of a jar or bucket. Then let the sand dry.
A one-teaspoonful sample of dry sand as shown in Fig. 2 weighs about 7.7 grams. A very small sample of sand may be collected upon a piece of plastic tape simply by pressing the tape to the dry sand until the sticky side it is completely covered with sand. The tape of sand may then be labeled with date, location where collected and name/address of collector. Place the tape inside an envelope and seal the envelope tightly. Larger samples of sand may be collected in small vials, envelopes or even small, Zip-lock type plastic bags.
If sand is wet it may be dried in an oven or even air dried. Small samples of sand may also be dired in a microwave oven. Drying sand is also a good idea as when properly done it will destroy any mold spores, nematodes or other micro organisms inside the sand. Spread sand in a thin layer upon a pan and dry sand in an over at 400 degrees F. for at least 30 to 60 minutes to sterilize. It is best to sterilize any sand sample before sending it across international boarders or through the mail, as this prevents any shipment of live organizms through the mail.
You may find the following uses for sand around the home:
You may be able to find many other uses for sand around the home. A variety of philosophical Sands of the World designs and slogans were made from photomicrographs of sand grains and used to illustrate this site as well as to raise funds to support this site.
Enjoy watching this video about the heavenly and cosmic nature of sand.
Don't forget to collect a sand sample and send it to Terry.
You may sponsor and support this site with a donations of any amount which will be considered a gift to a private individual and is NOT tax deductible. You may also make donations via PayPal.com to the email address of terrylynch@aol.com. Thank you for your consideration and support.
You may also help by purchasing design items featured in the Byteland Art Gallery or available via our sponsor. Thank you for your support.