• If you’re spending the winter in a northern state, this is about the right time to head south for a beach vacation over the holidays. Here are some facts about sand.
• If you’re going to play in the sand, where could you go to do that? Well, there are about 372,000 miles (620,000 km) of coastline worldwide. Of that, about 31%, or 115,320 miles (115,320 km) consists of sandy beaches, with the rest being rocky or icy. The continent of Africa has the highest proportion of sandy beaches (66%) and Europe has the lowest (22%).
• If you want to surf down a dune on a sandboard, there are a few remarkable places to do that. The tallest freestanding sand dune in the world is Duna Federico Kirbus, located in a sand valley in Argentina. It stands 4,035 feet (1,230 m) tall, and is named after the researcher who measured it. Keep in mind that the tallest manmade structure in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands 2,717 feet (828 m) tall.
• The world’s tallest coastal sand dune is Mount Tempest on Moreton Island, off the southeast coast of Queensland, Australia, standing 918 feet (280 m). That’s just 60 feet (18 m) shorter than the new World Trade Center in New York City at 978 feet (298 m).
• Researchers at the University of Hawaii have estimated that there might be as many as 7.5 billion, billion sand grains on the Earth’s beaches. It’s estimated that a billion sand grains are created worldwide every single second.
• Sandcastles work because water forms “liquid bridges” between the grains, using surface tension: the ideal formula is eight parts sand to one part water. According to a study at Bournemouth University, Torre Abbey Sands in Torquay, Devon, England, is one of the best beaches for sandcastles. It has fine-grained sand with exceptional cohesive powers.
• If you’re going to play in the sand, consider doing it in a big, big way. Why not set a world record? For instance, the world record for the most people buried in sand simultaneously is 684. The event, held on Chipipe Beach in Ecuador on March 2, 2013, was sponsored by a brand of flip-flop thong sandals. Prizes were awarded for creativity: people buried themselves dressed as shipwrecks, turtles, lighthouses, etc.
• The world’s tallest freestanding sandcastle stood almost 58 feet (17.65 m), equal to a five- or six-story tall building. The giant intricately carved pyramid was constructed in Binz, Germany, in June of 2019, and required the work of 12 sculptors, eight technicians, 11,000 tons of sand, and three and a half weeks of work. The effort was led by Thomas van den Dungen, a sand sculpting expert who has had a hand in two other world records, including the longest sand sculpture (17 miles / 27.3 km) and the greatest number of sand castles built in a single hour (2,230).
• A similar sandcastle built in Denmark on July 2, 2021, beat the height record with a pyramid just over 69 feet tall (21 m). However, it was constructed over wooden scaffolding, putting it in a different category of world records.
• If you lie down on the desert floor or a sandy beach across the direction of the wind, sand will begin to accumulate against your body immediately. A moderate wind might result in your body weight in sand accumulating in a single hour. In a gale, you might be buried under a ton of sand in that same time period.
• Even if all you have is a backyard sandbox, keep in mind that a single plastic beach pail holds about 3 billion grains of sand!
• Above all, when playing in the sand, remember to have fun! Artist Pablo Picasso was relaxing at the beach when a lady approached him and insisted he draw a picture for her. He drew a picture in the sand!
