Sand, Fay Canyon, Sedona, Arizona Under the Microscope

Sand, Fay Canyon, Arizona

This sand was collected in Fay Canyon near Sedona, Arizona. Grooves and rough texture of the surface indicates a wind-blown source for the grains. The grains are hematite (red) coated colorless quartz. With reflected darkfield illumination the hematite shows its bright red color.

Reflected Darkfield Illumination

Definition/Function:

This sand was collected in Fay Canyon near Sedona, Arizona. It is derived from the Schnebly Hill Sandstone formation. The grains are quartz (SiO₂) coated by hematite (Fe₂O₃). The red color comes from the presence of the hematite The grains are "frosted" rather than smooth, which indicates that the grain were wind-blown rather than water-worn.

Significance in the Environment:

Characteristic Features:

Associated Particles:

References:

Greenberg, Gary, A GRAIN OF SAND: NATURE'S SECRET WONDER, Voyageur Press, 2008.

Welland, Michael, SAND: THE NEVER ENDING STORY, University of California Press, 2009.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun01/clsand.html
(Good Information on the microscopy of sand, Great site for more information on microscopy in general)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-grain-of-sand-natures-secret-wonder
(Good Information on Sand with links to more information on sand)

http://www.sciencelive.org/component/option,com_mediadb/task,play/idstr,Open-feeds_fsc_exploring_sedimentary_processes_fsc02_02_m4v/vv,-2/Itemid,97
(Brief, very informative video on what can be learned from the shape of a sand grain.)