![]() ![]() The by-products of living things also play an important part in creating sandy beaches. Black-sand beaches are common in Hawaii, the Canary Islands, and the Aleutians. Black sand comes from eroded volcanic material such as lava, basalt rocks, and other dark-colored rocks and minerals, and is typically found on beaches near volcanic activity. The tan color of most sand beaches is the result of iron oxide, which tints quartz a light brown, and feldspar, which is brown to tan in its original form. Once they make it to the ocean, they further erode from the constant action of waves and tides. Often starting thousands of miles from the ocean, rocks slowly travel down rivers and streams, constantly breaking down along the way. ![]() Rocks take time to decompose, especially quartz (silica) and feldspar. Sand forms when rocks break down from weathering and eroding over thousands and even millions of years. Sand comes from many locations, sources, and environments. The environmentalist Rachel Carson wrote, "In every curving beach, in every grain of sand, there is a story of the Earth." ![]()
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