How does sand appear in nature? Research project "sand, its properties, application and production at home". Lyubertsy sand quarries
The desert near the basin of the Lena River and its tributary, the Vilyuy River, caused at least surprise among many: where did such volumes of sand come from in this place? Sand is a clear product of erosion, and it is safe to say that it is water erosion. Such a fraction (without large impurities) can be obtained only with water erosion of the movement (peeling, precipitation) of the masses.
Here's what readers wrote in the comments to the article YAKUT TUKULANS :
l1000 In the Belarusian Polesie, in the Pripyat River basin, there are similar sandy deposits. Moreover, they have a layer of peat layers of various thicknesses.
Light areas are sands. It can be seen that these are areas where oil and gas exploration and production of these natural resources is taking place. To do this, remove the upper part of the soil, sod. The sand is exposed. But this is not done in all areas. It can be seen that not a single road approaches part of the sandy areas.
Here are the views:
63° 32" 16.31" N 74° 39" 25.26" E
River south. High sandy shores. Purovsky District, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Opened turf on the site. 63° 38" 31.17" N 74° 34" 57.89" E
Here is the next sand outcrop, a little to the north:
The diameter is approximately 1.3 km. Link https://www.google.com/maps/@63.88379,74.31405,2109m/data=!3m1!1e3
Link
Sites of geologists are visible. And everywhere the light color of the sand.
The same picture, the light color of the sand under a thin layer of tundra vegetation.
Moving northeast:
Drill site. Sand. Link into place
Komsomolskoye deposit. Here the satellite took a higher resolution, you can see the details. Link
Do you think that this snow is so white? I thought so too. But moving east, to the river:
It can be seen that the water is not frozen, shooting in the warm season.
Sand embankment of the road
p. Gubinsky
High sandy bank of the river near the town
Several photos of sites where a person damaged a thin layer of vegetation in these places:
64° 34" 6.06" N 76° 40" 45.91" E
62° 19" 50.31" N 76° 43" 17.63" E
63° 7" 35.72" N 77° 54" 31.28" E
The conclusion is that the vast expanses of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug are swamps, rivers and huge layers of sand under a thin layer of vegetation. Sands ancient
Let's move to the Moscow region:
Lyubertsy sand quarries
The Lyubertsy sand deposit is located 5 km. south of the Lyubertsy railway station near the city of Dzerzhinsky near Moscow. This is one of the largest high-quality quartz sand deposits in Russia. The thickness of overburden rocks is from 0.3 to 22.6 m, usually 5-8 m. km.
Geological information:
Quartz sands of the Moscow region were formed in the coastal zones of the ancient seas and are found mainly in the deposits of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. The Upper Jurassic sands of the Lyuberetsky and Eganovsky deposits are mainly used. The second largest in the Moscow region is the Chulkovskoye field, located 17-18 km. south of the city of Lyubertsy. The thickness of the sands at the deposit reaches 35 m.
If these layers are so ancient, millions of years old, then why is there such a thin layer of chernozem and other deposits above them?
In the thickness of the Upper Jurassic quartz sands, there are significant interlayers, slabs, and pillow-shaped nodules of dense sandstones. Genetically, these are large bedded concretions formed due to cementation of sand with silica (cement is predominantly quartz). Some of them are so dense and strong that they correspond to the designation "quartzite" rather than "sandstone".
Outcrop of quartz sands of the eastern wall of the Dzerzhinsky quarry
Sand washing by a dredger in the near (Dzerzhinsky) quarry of the Lyubertsy GOK
Sandstone outcrops in the second, Forest Quarry
petrified geoconcrete
Can be mistaken for destroyed megaliths or remnants
There are such patterns on the stones. Maybe it was cut out when these rocks were still unhardened? Sharp corners and cuts speak for themselves. If so, then it was clearly in the recent past. And then what to do with all geochronological data?
On the steep slopes and cliffs above the quarry bushes of wild sea buckthorn grow picturesquely. For some reason, this shrub loves to grow in quarries. Somehow this was noticed to me in Krasnoyarsk places.
***
So what cataclysmic events or huge maritime epochs in the geochronology of the Earth's past provoked these sand accumulations? Official science speaks about the ancient seas in these territories. But a thin layer of vegetation in the Yamao tundra suggests otherwise. There was no accumulation of humus or inorganic soil above the sand. This indicates the very recent presence of sea water or water streams there. Maybe it was the melting of the glacier and large streams of clear water flowed from it to the south. Was this glacier also quite recent? Who else is thinking?
Sources:
Sand is a material that consists of loose stone grains with a grain diameter of 1/16 mm to 2 mm. If the diameter is greater than 2 mm, it is classified as gravel, and if less than 1/16, then as clay or silt. Sand is mainly created as a result of the destruction of rocks, which, over time, accumulate together to form grains of sand.
Sand weathering process
The most common way sand is formed is by weathering. This is the process of transformation of rocks under the influence of such factors as: water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, temperature fluctuations in winter and summer. Most often, granite is destroyed in this way. The composition of granite is quartz crystals, feldspar, and various minerals. Feldspar in contact with water disintegrates faster than quartz, which allows granite to crumble into fragments.
sand denudation process
The rock being destroyed moves down from the hills under the influence of the force of the wind, the influence of water and under the force of gravity. This process is called denudation.
Under the influence of the processes of weathering, denudation and accumulation of mineral substances for a long time, it is possible to observe the alignment of the land relief.
Sand fragmentation process
Fragmentation - is the process of crushing something into many small fragments, in our example it is granite. When the crushing process is fast, the granite breaks down even before the feldspar breaks down. Thus, the resulting sand is dominated by feldspar. If the crushing process is slow, then, accordingly, the content of feldspar in the sand decreases. The process of rock fragmentation is influenced by the flow of water, which enhances crushing. And as a result, we have sands with a low content of feldspar on steep slopes.
Sand grain shape
Sand grains start out angular and become more rounded as they are polished by abrasion during transport by wind or water. Grains of quartz sand are the most resistant to wear. Even a long stay near the water, where it washes it, is not enough for a thorough rolling of the corner grain of quartz. The processing time is on the order of 200 million years, so the quartz grain, which first weathered from granite 2.4 billion years ago, may have gone through 10-12 cycles of burial and re-erosion to reach its current state. Thus, the degree of roundness of an individual quartz grain is an indirect indicator of its antiquity. Feldspar grains can also be rolled, but not as well, so the sand that has been moved several times is mostly quartz.
The influence of the ocean and wind on the process of sand formation
Sand can be formed not only by weathering, but also by explosive volcanism, as well as by the impact of waves on coastal rocks. As a result of the impact of the ocean, the sharp corners of the rocks are polished and crushing occurs over time. Thus, sea sand familiar to us is obtained. During a storm in the cold season, the water that has fallen into the splits of the rocks becomes ice, which leads to a split. Thus, over time, sand is also obtained. Nothing would have happened without the intervention of the wind. The wind sharpens the grains of sand on the rocks and disperses them.
Scope of sand
Sand is all around us. Most of all it is used in construction. Combining it with water and cement, we get a concrete solution. Sand is added to dry building mixtures, in the manufacture of artificial stone and tiles. Sand has found application even in alternative medicine for the prevention of sciatica and problems with the musculoskeletal system. No playground is complete without a sandbox. Sand is also widely used for making glass; filling in sandblasters to clean the surface from rust, various types of corrosion; for backfilling football fields; as a substrate for an aquarium; .
Details about the origin of quartz sand can be emphasized from the article: A large selection of fractionated quartz sand can be found on our website.
Where did the sand come from in our Shibaev quarry? Imagine, although it is very difficult to imagine, you need to try to imagine that many, many millions of years ago there was not a single grain of sand in the world. But there was also no air, no water, no plants, no animals...
Planet Earth was at a very young (by geological standards) age, and its main attractions were only mountain ranges and volcanoes, spewing hot lava flows. It was the rocks that became the "raw material" for the production of sand.
However, this required our planet to acquire oceans, rivers - what is called the hydrosphere, and air - the atmosphere. Only then did the wind and water set to work. Slowly, over millions of years, they worked on durable granite and other rocks. No wonder there was a saying about a drop that sharpens a stone.
Imagine, pieces broke off from the rocks, large fragments turned into small ones, which in turn broke up into stones, and those into pebbles. Well, pebbles and up to grains of sand, which are already separate indivisible grains of rocks and various minerals.
This happened all over the planet, and on Savina Gora too, which is why so much sand eventually formed at the foot of Savina Gora. Mount Nekhoroshka and Savina Gora have always been adjacent to the Zeleninka River and the Chumlyak River. Water penetrated into the cracks of the mountains and this led to their destruction. Therefore, what breed is more in it. Pink sands are composed of feldspar, red sands are the most sand along the banks of these rivers. Sand, fine-clastic loose sedimentary rock, consisting of at least 50% of grains of quartz, feldspars, garnet, tourmaline, topaz of rock fragments 0.05-2 mm in size; contains an admixture of clay particles.
But the Shibaevo sands are green - glauconite, colored in green tones, the intensity of which is determined by the content of the mineral glauconite in the sand.
And I also found out that on the planetthere are places where the sands behave unusually. They are singing.For example, Jebel Nakug (Bell Mountain) on the shores of the Red Sea. It has long been covered with legends. Tourists claim that when you climb to its top, the sand seems to groan under your feet. In the bowels of this mountain, as the inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula believe, a large monastery lurks. At the appointed hour, its underground bells hum, calling the monks to prayer. And the whole mountain trembles from these powerful sounds.
A similar phenomenon is observed in Chile: in the valley of Copiano rises a large sandy hill of El Braiador, which means Howling. “Crying” and “groaning” several hills and in the Californian deserts. And if you go down from Mount Reg Ravan, which is not far from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the white sand under your feet makes sounds like a drumbeat. The phenomenon of singing sands is quite widespread on our planet. The first "singing" hills are described in the written monuments of Ancient China. A huge sandy hill 150 meters high served as an object of worship. On the fifth day of the Moon, the feast of the Dragon, the priests climbed it to slide down. During this rapid descent, the sand spoke to them in the voice of the Dragon, predicting the future.
On Lake Baikal there is a beach with singing sand. When you walk on it, tourists describe, it makes a creak. And if you rake the sand with your feet, then the creak turns into a jerky howl. It is almost impossible to distinguish an area with singing sand from a “silent” one by eye. A detailed study showed that the grains of singing sand, as a rule, are round or oval, have the same size, are well “polished” by nature and practically do not contain any impurities, even dust. Researchers studying the singing sands of the Hawaiian Islands found that each of the grains of sand there is pierced by a thin channel open at one end, so the sound could be made by the wind breaking through the tubules? However, there is nothing like this in other singing sands ... There are many hypotheses explaining the nature of the amazing phenomenon. There is, for example, this one: the sound of sand is associated with electrification that occurs when grains of sand rub against each other. However, scientists have not come to a consensus.
Do our Shibaevsky sands sing? I decided to do some experiments at home. Scored on the banks of the river Boy of different colors of stones. Then he broke them with a large nail and a hammer, the resulting pieces and grains of sand were of different colors. Thus, I was convinced that the composition of the sand is different because it consists of different rocks and minerals. The color of the sand depends on what kind of rock it has more. In another experience, I wanted to make sure which rocks and minerals dissolve best. To do this, I dissolved salt, chalk and sand from a quarry in water. The salt dissolved completely, the chalk did not dissolve well, but after a while it precipitated. But the sand from the quarry did not dissolve at all, but remained unchanged at the bottom of the glass. That is, the sand turned out to be the most insoluble and hard, which is why there is so much of it along the banks of rivers and seas.
What can make sounds? To do this, I heated chalk, salt and sand. When salt and chalk were heated, nothing happened, no sounds were heard. But with strong heating of the sand, a slight crackling was heard and some grains of sand “jumped” and changed their place.This means that our Shibaev sands can also make sounds!
I tried to understand the question of why the sands sing and made the following conclusions:
grains of sand are composed of very hard and different rocks. In hot countries, the sand may crackle when heated. And when there is a lot of sand, the sound seems to be singing. And therefore, if warming occurs in the Urals, then our Shibaev sands will sing!
MUNICIPAL BUDGET PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION "KINDERGARTEN № 61" FLAG" OF THE CITY OF SMOLENSK
NOD NGO "POZNANIE" IN THE MIDDLE GROUP
"Where does the sand come from?"
Educator of the highest qualification category
Target: Experience the formation of sand in nature.
Material: model of the desert, model of the coast, Lump sugar, plate, table spoon, candle, water in a jug, pipette. Cocktail straws, magnifying glasses for each child. Presentation.
Organization. Sitting and standing around the table.
STUDY PROCESS
Guys, the weather is bad today, it's raining outside and we won't go for a walk. I prepared sand for you to play in a group, and it disappeared somewhere. There is very little left, nothing can be built from it. Too bad we can't play now. Here the toys are small, but there is no sand. And so I wanted to play. What to do? Don't know. Where do you think you can get sand? (Answers). In the sandbox, on the river, on the beach, in the desert...
Why is there so much sand? (Answers) Let's turn to our computer Robitoks, what will he tell us about this, where does the sand come from?
Sand is the particles of rocks that make up the soil. The sand is obtained
when a stone breaks up - under the influence of water, weather conditions, glaciers.
Let's check it out, shall we?
Experience 1. (demo) How sand is formed.
- Here is a piece of sugar. Can we say that it looks like a stone? Yes, he is just as strong. Even if you squeeze it hard, it won't break. And what will happen to him if drops of water fall on him? The water seeps into the cube and breaks the bonds that hold the sugar particles together, and it collapses, breaks. With stones, everything is the same only more slowly.
Conclusion: Under the influence of water, the stones are destroyed.
- Not only water destroys stones, but also the sun. You know the sun is very hot. See what happens to a piece of sugar when it is heated. (Answers) That's right, it begins to melt, melt.
What happens to its form? She starts to change. Similarly, stones.
Conclusion: under the influence of the sun, the stones are destroyed, change their shape.
- But here the sun hid, it became cool. What's happening? (Answers) The sugar stone has hardened. What happened to his form? She has changed. And how did the stone-sugar change in general? (Answer) Yes, the color has changed. What else? Is it the same thickness? (Answer) No, different, somewhere thicker, and somewhere thinner. In some place, the stone becomes brittle, it can easily break. The same happens with stones.
Robitox still wants to tell us something.
There are two places where you can find the largest deposits
sand, these are deserts, sloping sea shores, where beaches are usually found.
Experience 2. Here is my model of the desert.
- Take straws and blow on the sand. What happened? (Answers) He scattered, moved. Sand waves formed on it, sand mounds appeared.
Not all deserts have the same sand, some have only stones.
- And if a strong wind blows, what happens to grains of sand, stones? (Answers) They scatter, hit each other. Do you think they can break if hit hard? (Answer) They can. Here we proved to swami that sand can be obtained by weathering.
Conclusion: Under the influence of wind, the stones are destroyed. The wind carries the sand, forming sandy waves and hills.
Physical education minute. Let's play a little.
Quietly splashing water
We are sailing on a warm river. (Swimming movements with hands.)
Clouds in the sky like sheep
They fled, who went where. ( Stretching - arms up and to the sides.)
We get out of the river
Let's take a walk to dry off. ( walking in place.)
And now a deep breath.
And we sit on the sand. (Children sit down.)
If the soil consists mainly of sand, its large grains are not able to hold water and nutrients necessary for plants. This is one of the reasons why you won't see many plants either in the desert or on the beach. Deserts are practically open to weathering.
It is not always hot in the deserts, sometimes it rains there, and not just rains, but heavy downpours. And on the coasts there are ebbs and flows.
Experience 3. (demo) Here I have a coast model with a sandy beach. Pieces of plasticine - rocks. The part of the model filled with sand is the beach. The rest I will fill with water. With a piece of cardboard, I will represent the waves. What happens to the sand? (Answers) Water washes away sand and rocks and stones remain visible. And you already know what happens to stones under the influence of water. What's happening? (Answer) They collapse and turn into sand. And water flows carry sand particles around the world.
Conclusion: Stones are destroyed under the influence of water and turn into sand.
Experience 4. What the sand looks like. Take a magnifying glass and look at it. Can be hand sprinkled. Can you tell me what sand looks like? What do sand grains look like? Are the grains of sand similar to each other? (Answers) Do grains of sand stick to each other? (answers) no grains of sand stick to each other.
If you carefully look at a handful of sand, you can see that the grains of sand have a different color. This is because sand is formed from several different kinds of rocks. Sand can appear brown, yellow, white, or even black (if it was formed from a certain volcanic rock). On some beaches, the sand may contain grains of organic origin, the source of which is the remains of living things, such as corals, shells, and not rocks.
Conclusion: sand consists of small multi-colored grains that do not stick together.
This is where we played. And not just played, but learned a lot of interesting things about the sand. What did you find most interesting and what do you remember the most? (Answers) Well done. Get medals "The most inquisitive child"