Sand, whether you use it for building sand castles, telling time with an hourglass, or hydraulic fracturing, is pretty much the same just about anywhere you go -- an uncountable number of tiny grains mixed together to form the same dunes and beaches. But why does sand almost always look the same?

Note: "ortoclase" at 0:59 should be "orthoclase"

CREDITS

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Created by Henry Reich Video Concept and Writing: Meg Rosenburg Writing and Editing Team: Alex Reich, Peter Reich, Emily Elert Animation: Ever Salazar Music: Nathaniel Schroeder

MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC https://neptunestudios.info

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REFERENCES

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Assallay, A. M., Rogers, C. D. F., Smalley, I. J., & Jefferson, I. F. 1998. Silt: 2--62 μm, 9--4φ. Earth-Science Reviews 45(1): 61-88. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001282529800035X

Bruce Wilkinson, Geology Professor, Syracuse University (personal communication)

Krinsley, D. H., & Smalley, I. J. 1972. Sand: The study of quartz sand in sediments provides much information about ancient geological environments. American Scientist 60(3): 286-291. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/27843128?uid=3739736&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103001116071

IMAGE CREDITS

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Sand from Gobi Desert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sand_from_Gobi_Desert.jpg Photo by: Siim Sepp

Ruler http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Regla_V.svg Image by: Dnu72

Black Sand Beach: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottiet812/2876766215/ Photo by: ScottieT812

Red Sand Beach: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaihalulu_Red_Sand_Beach.JPG Photo by: Tom Walsh

White Sand Beach: http://www.flickr.com/photos/diueine/230993921/ Photo by: Diueine Monteiro

Dunes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstanleytravel/5282834545/ Photo by: David Stanley

Sand Mining http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miletice,_p%C3%ADskovcov%C3%BD_lom_II.jpg by: Aktron / Wikimedia Commons

Beach Photos: Photo by: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erdeven_Roche_Seche_plage_blockhaus.jpg

Photo by: José Porras http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:04._Playa_Pocitos_Pano.jpg

Photo by: Viscious81 / Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Havelockradhanagar1.jpg

Photo by: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arromanches_plage.jpg

Photo by: Sengkang http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Coast_Park,_Mar_06.JPG

Photo by: Sean O'Flaherty http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Half_Moon_Bay_State_Beach_1.jpg

Photo by: Ayaita http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isla_en_Guna_Yala.jpg

Photo by: Peter V. Sanchez http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salagdoong_beach.jpg

Photo by: Allan Patrick http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praia-de-Tibau-2.jpg

Photo by: cogito ergo imago http://www.flickr.com/photos/37244380@N00/2394104152

Photo by: Wicho 2 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CABO_DE_LA_VELA.JPG

Photo by: Herbert Vieira http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Praia_do_Morro_da_Pedras,_lado_da_Arma%C3%A7%C3%A3o.JPG

Photo by: Urville86 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Virgin_Beach_Laiya.jpg

Photo by: Angelo Juan Ramos http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boracay_perfect_day.jpg

Photo by: Magnus Manske http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timmendorfer_Strand.jpg

Photo by: Daniel Schwen http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USA_Cape_Cod_4_MA.jpg