49-437: A sandpit (most Commonwealth countries) or sandbox (US and Canada) is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with soft (beach) sand in which children can play. Sharp sand (as used in the building industry) is not suitable for such use. Many homeowners with children build sandpits in their backyards because, unlike most playground equipment , they can be easily and cheaply constructed. German sand gardens were
98-410: A textural class of soil or soil type; i.e., a soil containing more than 85 percent sand-sized particles by mass. The composition of sand varies, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non- tropical coastal settings is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO 2 ), usually in the form of quartz . Calcium carbonate
147-434: A diameter of between 0.074 and 4.75 millimeters. By another definition, in terms of particle size as used by geologists , sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1 ⁄ 16 mm) a volume of approximately 0.00012 cubic millimetres, to 2 mm, a volume of approximately 4.2 cubic millimetres, the difference in volumes being 34,688 measures difference. Any particle falling within this range of sizes
196-434: A documentary called " Sand Wars " about the impact of the lack of construction sand. It shows the ecological and economic effects of both legal and illegal trade in construction sand. To retrieve the sand, the method of hydraulic dredging is used. This works by pumping the top few meters of sand out of the water and filling it into a boat, which is then transported back to land for processing. All marine life mixed in with
245-573: A favorable combination of geographical factors, the Osages became the dominant force in mid—America. "In a one hundred twenty-five year period, 1678-1803, the Osages performed a feat no other American Indians duplicated," writes Burns. "They stopped the west-ward expansion of the Euro-American peoples and simultaneously tripled the size of their own domain." George Champlin Sibley was appointed head trader at
294-603: A high olivine content. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe , have iron impurities within the quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones . Rocks erode or weather over a long period of time, mainly by water and wind, and their sediments are transported downstream. These sediments continue to break apart into smaller pieces until they become fine grains of sand. The type of rock
343-489: A result. People sometimes dig holes in the sand at beaches for recreational purposes, but if too deep they can result in serious injury or death in the event of a collapse. Manufactured sand (M sand) is sand made from rock by artificial processes, usually for construction purposes in cement or concrete. It differs from river sand by being more angular, and has somewhat different properties. In Dubai , United Arab Emirates , sand needed to construct infrastructure and create
392-483: A significant dredging industry, raising environmental concerns over fish depletion, landslides, and flooding. Countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia ban sand exports, citing these issues as a major factor. It is estimated that the annual consumption of sand and gravel is 40 billion tons and sand is a US$ 70 billion global industry. With increasing use, more is expected to come from recycling and alternatives to sand. The global demand for sand in 2017
441-458: A solid bottom or they can be built directly onto the soil. The latter allows free drainage (which is useful if the top is open) but can lead to contamination of the sand with soil if the children dig down to the ground. The sand gets dirty over time and is eventually replaced. Many schools and playgrounds in North America have replaced sand around play structures with a wood chip mixture, as it
490-508: Is called grus in geology or 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 transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert sand is typically rounded. People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles . Organisms that thrive in sandy environments are psammophiles. Only some sands are suitable for
539-464: Is cheaper. It also prevents health risks, such as ringworm , that would potentially come from traditional sandboxes, due to other animals, such as raccoons , being able to use the sandpits, and spreading parasites. Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt . Sand can also refer to
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#1732858302657588-608: Is formed by a dam on the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River . The refuge was established March 26, 1930, by executive order of President Herbert Hoover , and contains 32,080 acres (130 km ) of protected land as habitat to about 312 species of birds and 30 species of mammals. It was designated a national natural landmark in June 1983. The Salt Plains were a favorite hunting ground for American Indians . Bison and other game came to
637-574: Is found in places such as White Sands National Park and Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. Sand is a non-renewable resource over human timescales, and sand suitable for making concrete is in high demand. Desert sand, although plentiful, is not suitable for concrete. Fifty billion tons of beach sand and fossil sand are used each year for construction. The exact definition of sand varies. The scientific Unified Soil Classification System used in engineering and geology corresponds to US Standard Sieves, and defines sand as particles with
686-484: Is permitted only for children under 14 and mobility-handicapped persons and is catch-and-release. Salt Plains Lake is noted for large channel and other catfish. Other game fish include striped bass , largemouth bass , crappie , white bass , panfish, and walleye . State laws apply for bag limits and seasons, and the use of boats in the river and creeks is prohibited. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of
735-433: Is termed a sand grain . Sand grains are between gravel (with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm by the latter system, and from 4.75 mm up to 75 mm in the former) and silt (particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm). The size specification between sand and gravel has remained constant for more than a century, but particle diameters as small as 0.02 mm were considered sand under
784-474: Is the most common mineral resistant to weathering . The composition of mineral sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material, suggesting that sand formation depends on living organisms, too. The gypsum sand dunes of
833-489: Is the second most common type of sand. One such example of this is aragonite , which has been created over the past 500 million years by various forms of life, such as coral and shellfish . It is the primary form of sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of years, as in the Caribbean . Somewhat more rarely, sand may be composed of calcium sulfate , such as gypsum and selenite , as
882-705: The Albert Atterberg standard in use during the early 20th century. The grains of sand in Archimedes ' The Sand Reckoner written around 240 BCE, were 0.02 mm in diameter. A 1938 specification of the United States Department of Agriculture was 0.05 mm. A 1953 engineering standard published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials set the minimum sand size at 0.074 mm. Sand feels gritty when rubbed between
931-684: The Dubai Islands exceeds local supplies, requiring sand from Australia . The artificial islands required more than 835 million tonnes of sand, at a cost greater than $ 26 billion USD. [REDACTED] Earth Sciences portal Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States system of national wildlife refuges . It is located in Alfalfa County in northern Oklahoma , north of Jet (pop. 230), along Great Salt Plains Lake , which
980-509: The Krumbein phi scale , where size is Φ = -log 2 D; D being the particle size in mm. On this scale, for sand the value of Φ varies 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 SiO 2 ), usually in the form of quartz , which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness,
1029-670: The White Sands National Park in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Arkose is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content, derived from weathering and erosion of a (usually nearby) granitic rock outcrop. Some sands contain magnetite , chlorite , glauconite , or gypsum . Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian . Chlorite - glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from basaltic lava with
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#17328583026571078-588: The colony , including the white-faced ibis , great blue herons , and most notably, the tricolored heron . According to Historian Louis F. Burns, the Osage Indians used the salt found in the Great Salt Plains to bleach deer-skins and the Great Salt Plains gave the Osages a surplus of salt to trade with other tribes. According to Burns, the Osage were firmly in control of the Great Salt Plains by 1760 and because of
1127-471: The 11,000 acres (45 km ) of salt flats at the refuge has gypsum concentrations high enough to grow selenite , a crystalline form of gypsum. The selenite crystals found there have an hourglass-shaped sand inclusion that is not known to occur in selenite crystals found elsewhere in the world. Digging for crystals is allowed, but only from April 1 through October 15 to protect this vital Whooping Crane habitat. Hunting : About 1,250 acres (5 km ) of
1176-660: The Great Salt Plains Reservoir. Great Salt Plains is one of the most important habitats for shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere. Ralstin Island (closed to the public) is an important rookery in the Great Salt Plains Lake. The island was originally 25 acres (100,000 m ), but has eroded to about 6 acres (20,000 m ). It hosts more than 30,000 birds during breeding season. Over 30 species nest in
1225-458: The Indian Factory at Fort Osage, Missouri, when it opened in 1808. While at Fort Osage, Sibley quickly engaged in creating relationships with the neighboring Osage tribes . In May 1811 Sibley's expedition left Fort Osage to examine the hunting grounds of the Osage. In 1811 his expedition was said to be the first white men to visit the plains. Sibley's expedition, leaving from Fort Osage, Missouri
1274-483: The Sahara is sand dunes, while 70% is bare rock. The wind is responsible for creating these different environments and shaping the sand to be round and smooth. These properties make desert sand unusable for construction. Beach sand is also formed by erosion. Over thousands of years, rocks are eroded near the shoreline from the constant motion of waves and the sediments build up. Weathering and river deposition also accelerate
1323-627: The area for the salt, the Great Salt Plains made for excellent hunting and it became obvious that any tribe that controlled the Salt Plains would have to contend with intrusions by other tribes. Therefore the Treaty of New Echota signed in 1835, provided the Cherokee Nation with ownership of the Cherokee Outlet but declared that the saline areas were to be accessible to use by other tribes. In drafting
1372-629: The area to eat the salt and the heavily wooded and well-watered area along the Salt Fork River was like an oasis in the surrounding grassland of the Great Plains . Salt Plains refuge is divided into almost equal areas of nonvegetated salt flat , open water, and vegetated land. Marshes , woods, grasslands , and croplands dot the refuge. Management tools used to enhance the habitat for wildlife include farming, grazing, prescribed burns, construction of ponds, and wetland draining and flooding. The refuge
1421-441: The construction industry, for example for making concrete . Grains of desert sand are rounded by being blown in the wind, and for this reason do not produce solid concrete, unlike the rough sand from the sea. Because of the growth of population and of cities and the consequent construction activity there is a huge demand for these special kinds of sand, and natural sources are running low. In 2012 French director Denis Delestrac made
1470-438: The extracted sand is killed and the ecosystem can continue to suffer for years after the mining is complete. Not only does this affect marine life, but also the local fishing industries because of the loss of life, and communities living close to the water's edge. When sand is taken out of the water it increases the risk of landslides, which can lead to loss of agricultural land and/or damage to dwellings. Sand's many uses require
1519-597: The fingers. Silt , by comparison, feels like flour . ISO 14688 grades sands as fine, medium, and coarse with ranges 0.063 mm to 0.2 mm to 0.63 mm to 2.0 mm. In the United States, sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on size: very fine sand ( 1 ⁄ 16 – 1 ⁄ 8 mm diameter), 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
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1568-450: The first organization of children's play in public spaces. The German "sand gardens" were an 1850 offshoot of Friedrich Fröbel 's work on kindergartens. Sand gardens were introduced to America by Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska , starting in her home city of Boston. Inspired by the German sand gardens she observed while visiting Berlin in the summer of 1885. Joseph Lee is considered the "founder of
1617-453: The nature center and refuge office and leads 0.35 miles (600 m) to the edge of the salt flats and a birding observation platform. The Eagle Roost Nature Trail is a 1.25-mile (2.0 km) loop also beginning near the nature center. The trail goes through wooded and open areas, beneath towering cottonwood trees , past marshes and ponds, and to a shore and waterfowl watching area on Sand Creek Bay. Selenite crystals : A designated area of
1666-471: The plains. Driving tour : The Harold F. Miller Auto Tour begins near the nature center. It is 2.5 miles (4 km) long and ends at Highway 11. The dirt road passes by ponds and fields where crops for wildlife are cultivated. White-tailed deer and other wildlife are common. A trail of 0.25 miles (400 m) leads to Casey Marsh Tower, where waterfowl are abundant and bald eagles can be seen in fall and winter. Hiking : The Sandpiper Trail begins near
1715-580: The playground movement." The "pit", or "box" itself is simply a container for storing the sand so that it does not spread outward across lawns or other surrounding surfaces. Boxes of various shapes are often constructed from planks , logs , or other large wooden frames that allow children easy access to the sand and also provide a convenient place to sit. Small sandpits are also available commercially. These are usually made from plastic or wood and are often shaped like an animal or other objects familiar to children. They sometimes also have lids to cover
1764-437: The process of creating a beach, along with marine animals interacting with rocks, such as eating the algae off of them. Once there is a sufficient amount of sand, the beach acts as a barrier to keep the land from eroding any further. This sand is ideal for construction as it is angular and of various sizes. Marine sand (or ocean sand) comes from sediments transported into the ocean and the erosion of ocean rocks. The thickness of
1813-461: The rate the sand can replenish, making it a non-renewable resource. Sand dunes are a consequence of dry conditions or wind deposition. The Sahara Desert is very dry because of its geographic location and proximity to the equator . It is known for its vast sand dunes, which exist mainly due to a lack of vegetation and water. Over time, wind blows away fine particles, such as clay and dead organic matter, leaving only sand and larger rocks. Only 15% of
1862-450: The refuge north of Highway 11 are open for hunting. State laws apply, except deer may be hunted by permit only. Hunting is permitted for pheasant , northern bobwhite quail, mourning dove , ducks , geese , and sandhill cranes . Fishing : According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the extreme drought of 2011 and 2012 has almost ended fishing as a recreational activity at the refuge. These conditions caused very large fish kills in
1911-546: The reservoir and restocking has been suspended. Fishing downstream of the dam is still permitted, but is greatly affected by local precipitation and the flow of the Great Salt River. Information that follows indicate the practices in force prior to the 2011 drought, and may no longer apply: Fishing is permitted from April 1 to October 15 on most of the refuge. Closed areas are marked by buoys or signs. Fishing in Bonham Pond
1960-460: The sand because they do not have as much time to dissolve away. The term for sand formed by weathering is "epiclastic." Sand from rivers are collected either from the river itself or its flood plain and accounts for the majority of the sand used in the construction industry. Because of this, many small rivers have been depleted, causing environmental concern and economic losses to adjacent land. The rate of sand mining in such areas greatly outweighs
2009-480: The sand layer varies, however it is common to have more sand closer to land; this type of sand is ideal for construction and is a very valuable commodity. Europe is the main miners of marine sand, which greatly hurts ecosystems and local fisheries. The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It
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2058-518: The sand when not in use, so that passing animals cannot contaminate the sand by urinating or defecating in it. Having lids also prevents the sand in outdoor sandpits from getting wet when it rains, although some dampness is often desirable as it helps the sand hold together. Prefabricated sandpits may also be used indoors, especially in day care facilities. Materials other than sand are also often used, such as oatmeal , which are necessarily non-toxic and light enough to easily vacuum up. Sandpits can have
2107-411: The sediment originated from and the intensity of the environment give different compositions of sand. The most common rock to form sand is granite , where the feldspar minerals dissolve faster than the quartz , causing the rock to break apart into small pieces. In high energy environments rocks break apart much faster than in more calm settings. In granite rocks this results in more feldspar minerals in
2156-660: The treaty the United States Government withheld the Salt Plains area with the provision that, "The right is reserved to the United States to allow other tribes of red men to get salt on the Great Salt Plains in common with the Cherokee Tribe." In 2007, a Boy Scout digging for crystals uncovered a collection of 7.5-inch vials containing chemical agents such as mustard gas , lewisite , chloropicrin , and phosgene . The vials were part of World War II -era military chemical agent identification sets. The burial of vials
2205-493: The user to wear respiratory protection to avoid breathing the resulting fine silica dust . Safety data sheets for silica sand state that "excessive inhalation of crystalline silica is a serious health concern." In areas of high pore water pressure , sand and salt water can form quicksand , which is a colloid hydrogel that behaves like a liquid. Quicksand produces a considerable barrier to escape for creatures caught within, who often die from exposure (not from submersion) as
2254-621: Was 9.55 billion tons as part of a $ 99.5 billion industry. In April 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report stating that 50 billion tons of sand and gravel were being used every year. The report made 10 recommendations, including a ban on beach extraction, to avert a crisis, and move toward a circular economy for the two resources. While sand is generally non-toxic, sand-using activities such as sandblasting require precautions. Bags of silica sand used for sandblasting now carry labels warning
2303-493: Was created to be a resting and breeding ground for migratory waterfowl especially during fall and spring. The entire refuge is designated as critical habitat for the endangered whooping crane , which is mostly seen during fall migration. In addition, the refuge is home to endangered least terns , threatened snowy plovers , threatened bald eagles , and peregrine falcons . Large populations of American white pelicans migrate through between August and September, staying on
2352-490: Was guided by an Osage Indian named Sans Orielle. Sibley named the area the Grand Saline. Sibley cut short his expedition when informed by reports that bands of Comanche were nearby. Sibley returned to Fort Osage on July 11, 1811 and reported that the salt deposits would eventually prove commercially profitable. The Great Salt Plains have been the scene of many Indian Councils, both of war and peace. Because animals flocked to
2401-461: Was standard procedure for removing them from service at that time. No record of a disposal site was reported at the salt plains. Crystal digging was suspended from April 2007 until April 2009, while the risk of allowing digging again was evaluated; 171 vials and at least a dozen incendiary devices were removed from the location. The salt plains were also used as a bombing and strafing range during World War II. Remnants of this use are still left on
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