Welcome to the Museum of Sand

The Museum of Sand was established to house and share a private collection of sand from around the world. Our mission is to share with people the wonders of sand, and promote curiosity about the origins and characteristics of these geologic and biologic materials. Our growing collection provides a rare and close-up glimpse into the fascinating micro-world of sand grains.

Most posts to the Museum of Sand blog will be photos of a sand sample, with information about it and a map showing the collection location. A list of sand samples will be updated frequently. To see a listed sample, enter its name in the search box.

We are slowly posting the numerous samples in the Museum collection to this site; please check back occasionally to find new posted samples.

The Head Curator of the Museum, Paul Fishman, is an ecologist; he hopes to learn more about the geologic origins of the samples in the museum, and will add this information as possible.

In March, 2012, Paul made a startling discovery on the internet: he is not alone! Here is a link to the International Sand Collectors Society.

Finally, a thank you to the few agents of the Museum of Sand who have gathered samples for our collection.

Attribution and copyright notice: all images of sand samples are the property of the Museum of Sand and may not be used without Museum permission. Map and satellite images are screen shots from Google Maps, and are properly attributed.

Monday, March 26, 2018

THE MUSEUM OF SAND IS MOVING TO GOOGLE MAPS

Thank you for visiting The Museum of Sand in Portland, Oregon. We are in the process of transitioning the collection to a google map-based system. This is an on-going project.

Go to this link to view the new map-based site.

Thank you.
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Friday, April 12, 2013

MT. ST. HELENS. WASHINGTON. USA

This sample is not sand, it is volcanic ash; however, a curatorial decision was made to include it in the Museum of Sand on-line collection. Mt. St. Helens is in the Cascade mountain chain that extends north-south through central Oregon and Washington states. Mt. St. Helens blew it's top in 1980, resulting in cataclysmic changes to the surrounding landscape, and the loss of some human lives. Large flows of ash entered streams and rivers on the west side of the mountain and altered the sediment regime of these  streams and the Columbia River to which they are tributaries.

This sample was collected in 1980 soon after the eruption by the husband of one of our collectors. She generously donated this sample to the Museum of Sand.



Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


 High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


Satellite view of Mt. St. Helens
State of Washington, USA


Sample donated by:
Susan Lehner
collected in 1980
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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

HAWAII. PACIFIC OCEAN. KAUNA'OA BEACH. ISLAND OF HAWAI'I (BIG ISLAND)

This sample is from Kauna'oa Beach, the site of the first resort built by Lawrence Rockefeller on the Big Island.


Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm

Location
Map data (c) Google 2013




Collectors: Susan Lehner's students
2013
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HAWAII. PACIFIC OCEAN. ANAEHO'OMALU BAY. ISLAND OF HAWAI'I (BIG ISLAND)

The sample is from a beach on the west side of the Big Island, near the Hilton Waikoloa Resort.


Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


Location
Map data (c) Google 2013


Collectors: Susan Lehner's students
2013
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HAWAII. PACIFIC OCEAN. UNNAMED BEACH. ISLAND OF HAWAII (BIG ISLAND)

This sample was collected from a beach being formed by lava flowing into the ocean on the Puna side of the Island of Hawaii. The sample consists of angular grains of lava rock that have not yet been smoothed by wave action, indicating the recent formation of the beach.


Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm

[map needed]

Collectors: Susan Lehner's students
2013
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HAWAII. PACIFIC OCEAN. WAI'ULA'ULA BEACH. ISLAND OF HAWAI'I ( BIG ISLAND).

This sample is from a small beach just north of Kauna'oa where a stream flows into the ocean.



Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm



High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


Location of sample collection
Map data (c) Google 2013


Collectors: Susan Lehner's students
2013
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HAWAII. PACIFIC OCEAN. KALAPANA. ISLAND OF HAWAI'I (BIG ISLAND)

This sample was collected in February, 1990 from the Harry K. Brown Beach on the Big Island. Two weeks later the beach was completely covered by a lava flow. The collector stood on the beach and watched the lava flow on the hillside above - she did get away OK!  From the photo below, it is obvious that the beach was comprised mostly of grains of lava rock. 

 Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm






High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


 Sample location shown above.
Map data (c) Google 2013

Collector: Susan Lehman
February, 1990
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HAWAII, PACIFIC OCEAN, KE'EI BEACH, ISLAND OF HAWAI'I (BIG ISLAND)

This beach is a historic site on the southwest coast of the Big Island. The sand includes grains of coral, shell and lava. Ke'ei Beach is a small sand beach popular with locals. The area has historic importance as the location of the Battle of Moku'ohai, the first battle by King Kamehameha the Great in a campaign to take control of the Big Island. 

Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm




High magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1 mm


Location of sample collection shown above.
Imagery (c)2013 TerraMetrics. Map data (c)2013 Google.



Sample collected by: the students of Susan Lehner
2013
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

MEXICO. GULF OF CALIFORNIA. BUENA VISTA.

The sample was collected from the beach in the small town of Buena Vista, Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. Buena Vista is on the east side of the Baja peninsula, on the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez). 


 Low magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm.

High magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm.

Location: Buena Vista, BCS Mexico.

Collected by: Paul Fishman
December 1999
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ZANZIBAR. INDIAN OCEAN. NUNGWI.

The sample was collected from the beach at Ra Nungwi Resort in Nungwi, Zanzibar. This is a white sand beach. 


 Low magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm


High magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm.

Location: Ras Nungwi Resort, Zanzibar.

Collected by: Max and Sophie Friedenwald-Fishman.
September, 2008
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USA. PACIFIC OCEAN. PUPUKEA, OAHU HAWAII.

The sample is from Sunset Beach on the North Shore of the island of Oahu, Hawai'i. The sand consists primarily of rounded and polished bits of coral and shell. The round object with the swirl pattern is a snail operculum, which is the "door" that seals the shell opening when the snail withdraws. Opercula are commonly found on many beaches where there is a large population of snails offshore. 


Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm

 High magnification.
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm.

Location: Sunset Beach just north of Pupukea Point on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

Collected by: Paul Fishman
March 2012
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