Bowers Beach Sand EarthCache
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Bowers beach is a little fishing community just south East of the
city of Dover in Delaware.
Sand, along with gravel, silt and clay are all known as sediment,
and are produced by the mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks.
Once disaggregated from the original source rock, this material is
then eroded and transported by either wind, water or ice, often
ending up at the deposits of rivers or lakes, as sand dunes, or
ultimately as sediment in the sea. Eventually this material may be
buried to sufficient depth within the earth to harden and form
sedimentary rock.
The sandy shore is not a hospitable place: nothing is stable and
nothing grows there. All food on the sandy shore has to be
imported, and is either washed in by the waves or blown in by the
wind. The small pieces of shell and sand particles that make up the
beach are always on the move, and are constantly washed by water
and blown by wind. There is little protection for anything living
there, so animals burrow into the sand or live between the grains
of sand. Here they are protected from waves, sand movements and
predators.
Many animals use tidal, lunar or seasonal rhythms to help them
survive. A field study from spring of 2002 evaluated the effect of
nourishing an estuarine beach with sand and gravel to enhance
spawning rates by horseshoe crabs. Horseshoe crabs bury their eggs
on beaches, in pouches at approx 7.8”. Eggs are laid in
clusters or nests along the beach in a broad band between high and
low tide marks. The study found that pebble proportions may be
important for egg survival, due to the finer sizes of sand
capability to retain moisture which is important to egg
survival.
No large plants grow on sandy shores but pieces of dead plants are
washed in by the waves. Microscopic algae, called diatoms, are
found in the water and between the sand particles. The many small
animals live between the sand grains form an entire food web,
including grazers, predators, scavengers and Detritivores (animals
eating tiny fragments of decaying food). Beach grass traps
windblown sand on dunes allowing them to grow in height and
width.
Putting foreign objects on top of the beach grass will smother and
kill it. When the grass is absent or has been destroyed, layering
of sand does not occur as quickly and sand can be lost from an
area. Dunes help to protect structures and property during storms
by providing sand to eroding beaches and by blocking advancing
water.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control will install 7,000 cubic yards of sand above the high tide
mark. The Town of Bowers insists that the dune elevation should be
10’, not 7’ or 8’. DNREC will monitor the area
after the initial replenishment and when it is no longer
“status quo”, another 7,000 cubic yards will be placed.
The truck hauled sand project adds volume to an eroded beach. Any
sand from this project, and subsequent truck haul projects, that
remain on the beach when the engineered beach is constructed will
lessen the quantity needed to make the design template and affect
the replenished dune height and width.
To view this entirely: Town of
Bowers Beach
Some Fun facts about sand:
The typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich eaten on the beach
contains over 7,000 grains of sand!
Sand from islands or tropical sites has sand that is high in
Calcium, since seashells are rich in Calcium and are broken down to
form sand there."
Inland lake, river, stream and pond sands are high in Silicon,
since rocks are composed of various types of silicates which break
down to form sand there.
Most of the black sands, which are volcanic in origin, are high in
Iron and Aluminum, since these elements are found in volcanic
produced materials (lava, etc.).
The sand on the coast of Namibia (in southwest Africa) is
definitely worth sifting. It contains diamonds!
Certain beaches and sand dunes create mysterious sounds that
scientists still don't completely understand.
The rocks, pebbles, and sand on the beach are sorted by the waves.
They vary in size from large pebbles down to very small ones, and
finally to sand, which is almost pure quartz.
During your visit remember to stay on the trail and practice
outdoor ethics such as “LEAVE-NO-TRACE” AND
“CACHE-IN-TRASH-OUT”. Also what natural resources you
may find there should not be disturbed and never taken. For more
information on these outdoor ethics please visit: Leave No
Trace
* FTF goes to rehobch *
TO LOG THIS EARTHCACHE:
1. Sprinkle some sand on the black paper. Spread it thin enough
that you can see individual grains of sand.
2. Look at it through the magnifying glass. Using the provided
chart describe weather you are looking at silt sand or gravel and
also what is the grade?
3. Try it again with different types of sand. Use dry sand from the
top of the beach, wet sand from near the water; Notice the
different shapes, sizes and colors of the sand.
4. Put a bit of vinegar on the sand and watch what happens. At
first glance, sand may look like it is all one color. When you
start to look at individual grains of sand, you will see the many
colors, shapes and sizes of the different grains. If some of the
sand grains give off tiny bubbles when you add the vinegar that
means they were once part of a living being. They could be bits of
coral, shells, or bone.
5. Take a picture of yourself, friend, family, or foe observing the
sand with the black paper and GPS and post it to the gallery.
–If there are horseshoe crabs present, a picture with one of
them and your GPS will suffice!
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Gnxr lbhe gvzr, naq qb gur cebwrpg naljurer nybat gur ornpu lbh qrfver.
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