sand news stories on Newser

'Super Sand' Makes Water Safe to Drink

Sarah Whitmire — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 11:36:49 CDT

Access to clean drinking water is not a new problem in the world, and neither is the solution offered by Rice University researchers: sand. Except theirs is an improved version. The regular stuff has long been used to filter water, but it doesn't do a very effective job. Cue "super...

'Gravel Bandits' Stealing Entire Indonesian Islands

Rob Quinn — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:13:00 CDT

Indonesia is missing a few islands because of black marketeers who have been hauling off huge amounts of sand and gravel to sell to construction projects elsewhere in Asia. At least 24 islands have disappeared completely since 2005, and illegal sand mining has ruined the fishing industries of many others,...

Huge Sandstorm Turns Beijing Sky Orange

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:01:32 CDT

China's capital woke up to orange-tinted skies today as the strongest sandstorm so far this year hit the country's north, delaying some flights at Beijing's airport and prompting a dust warning for Seoul. The sky glowed and a thin dusting of sand covered Beijing, causing workers to muffle their faces...

Dangerous Staph Germs Found at US Beaches

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:37:50 CDT

Dangerous staph bacteria have been found in sand and water for the first time at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, and scientists think the state is not the only one with this problem. The germ is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—a hard-to-treat bug once rarely seen...

Architect: Mix Bacteria, Sand for Wall to Stop Sahara

Nick McMaster — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:21:01 CDT

With the spread of the Sahara desert threatening the livelihoods of millions in Africa, architect Magnus Larsson proposes solidifying sand into a 3,700-mile wall, the BBC reports. Speaking at a conference today in England, Larsson outlined a plan to saturate sand dunes in a line stretching from Mauritania to...

Beach Sand Is Bad For You: Study

Nick McMaster — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:20:01 CDT

Bird droppings, road runoff, and raw sewage are just some of the contaminants present at your local beach—and the reason playing in the sand could be hazardous to your health, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. A new study, which assessed the health of more than 27,000 beach-goers over...

Sand May Be 5th State of Matter: Study

Harry Kimball — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:02:02 CDT

Sand exhibits so many unexplainable physical properties that some think granularity is a form of matter unto itself, Wired reports. Granular matter acts like a solid, a liquid, or a gas depending on the circumstance. “You walk on the beach, and the sand supports your weight,” said physicist Heinrich Jaeger....

Miami Beach Battles Sand Hassle

Sarah Levy — Wed, 16 May 2007 17:21:18 CDT

A new kind of sandstorm is brewing in South Florida. As its world-famous beaches face crippling erosion, Miami Beach is hitting up its neighbors for the scarce stuff. But with most of Florida's communities strapped, Miami Beach, like coastal communities in California and Hawaii, is turning to foreign countries, which...