What’s under the beach sand and the sand in the desert?

Modified July 10, 2023 | 7:36 p.m

If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming, having your toes dipped in the desert in beach grains, and wondering what lurks beneath the sand, we’ve got some answers. It’s not just about discovering a magic lamp or a sunken pirate’s treasure – it’s a geological journey through time!

What is under the beach sand?

When you’re at the beach, the sand you’re shaping into imposing castles is the product of centuries of slow, steady wear and tear. Rivers and the constant movement of the sea grind rocks into tiny particles over thousands or even millions of years. Now imagine if I started digging out there on the beach.

Depending on the local geology, seashore excavations may reveal compacted layers of sand that over time transformed into a sedimentary rock known as sandstone. Dig deeper, swap out your plastic shovel for some serious digging rigs, and you’ll eventually hit the bedrock in the area, according to IFLScience. The real “treasure” lies in this journey through geology!

What is under the desert sands?

Thinking of the desert, you can imagine endless undulating sand dunes. But the surprising fact is that most deserts are not covered with sand. In fact, it is the vast expanses of exposed bedrock. Beneath these shifting desert sands, you are more likely to discover the harsh weathered face of bedrock rather than hidden chambers of gold.

This rock is exposed to desert factors, cracks and collapses due to the daily cycle of heating and cooling. For countless years, harsh desert winds have turned these slivers into the familiar sand we associate with this barren landscape.

However, this does not make the deserts any less amazing. The dunes are like natural time capsules, they keep everything they swallow up. Take, for example, the magnificent camel trees in Namibia. These ancient sands can also reveal amazing geological surprises. Like that time in 2010 when scientists discovered traces of a huge prehistoric lake under the sands of the Sahara desert, believed to have formed 250,000 years ago!

So whether you’re on the beach or surrounded by desert sands, every spoonful you discover tells a fascinating geological story. Digging below the surface is like turning the pages in a long Earth history book, one grain at a time.