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.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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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USA. PACIFIC OCEAN. LA JOLLA

The sample was collected from the beach at The Cove in the city of La Jolla, California. 

Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm

High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm

Location: the beach at The Cove park in La Jolla, California, USA

Collected by: Paul Fishman and Assistants Kayla and Lauren.
April 26, 2008

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Saturday, March 3, 2012

ITALY. MEDITERRANEAN SEA. MONTEROSSO

 This is a very coarse sand from the beach in Montorosso al Mare. There are few sand beaches in the Cinque Terre, the area containing Monterosso. 

Very tragically, mudslides and flooding devastated Montorosso and the nearby town of Vernazza in October, 2011.

 Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm


 High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm

Location: beach in Monterosso al Mare, in the Cinque Terre, Italy. 


Collected by: Paul Fishman  
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USA. COLUMBIA RIVER. SKAMOKAWA, WASHINGTON

 Low magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm


 High magnification
Scale: distance between each line = 1mm


Location: beach at Vista County Park on the Columbia River, 
Skamokawa, Washington


Collected by: Paul Fishman  2010 
(on the Portland to Astoria kayak journey with Dave Bodin)
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