If an excessive amount of water flows through the sand, it forces the sand particles apart. This is what allows you to build sand castles.īut beach sand could easily become quicksand if enough water were thrust up through it. A moderate amount of water creates the capillary attraction that allows sand particles to clump together. If you move closer to the water, you'll notice that the sand that is moderately wet is even more tightly packed than the dry sand. The friction between the sand particles creates a stable surface to stand on. If you stand on the driest part of the beach, the sand holds you up just fine. The next time you're at the beach, notice the difference in the sand as you stand on different parts of the beach that have varying levels of moisture. Places where quicksand is most likely to occur include: While quicksand can occur in almost any location where water is present, there are certain locations where it's more prevalent. Liquefaction can cause buildings to sink significantly during earthquakes. When soil liquefies, as with quicksand, it loses strength and behaves like a viscous liquid rather than a solid, according to the Utah Geological Survey. To understand quicksand, you have to understand the process of liquefaction.
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The vibration plus the water barrier reduces the friction between the sand particles and causes the sand to behave like a liquid. Larry Barron of the New South Wales Geological Survey. Vibration tends to enhance the quickness, so what is reasonably solid initially may become soft and then quick, according to Dr. The liquefied surface loses strength, causing buildings or other objects on that surface to sink or fall over. Earthquakes - The force of the shaking ground can increase the pressure of shallow groundwater, which liquefies sand and silt deposits.Flowing underground water - The force of the upward water flow opposes the force of gravity, causing the granules of sand to be more buoyant.Next, we'll find out how the ground shaking beneath your feet can lead to sand slipping beneath your weight. In this article, you will learn just how quicksand forms, where it's found and how you can escape its clutches if you find yourself hip-deep in it. However, your movements will cause you to dig yourself deeper into it. If you step into quicksand, it won't suck you down. The resulting sand is a mushy mixture of sand and water that can no longer support any weight. Quicksand is basically just ordinary sand that has been so saturated with water that the friction between sand particles is reduced. It can occur almost anywhere if the right conditions are present. In fact, the treacherous grit is rarely deeper than a few feet. Quicksand is not quite the fearsome force of nature that you sometimes see on the big screen.
But no - the actual properties of quicksand are not quite those portrayed in the movies. If you believed what you saw in movies, you might think that quicksand is a living creature that can suck you down into a bottomless pit, never to be heard from again.
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