Sand Internet Center for Sand and Sandcastle Gallery. A walk on the beach may bring peculiar sounds underfoot. The so-called musical, singing, or barking sands have intrigued scientists for years. One explanation for the sounds is that the grains of these sands are all the same size and shape. When slightly damp, with a film of moisture surrounding each grain, the sand is set into uniform vibration.
Sands are loose fragments of minerals or rocks.
They are formed by the abrasion or breakdown of rocks through the action of water, ice, or air. Sand accumulates in areas where sediments are transported and deposited, such as in desert and beach environments. Dry sand is blown by the wind. Rocks, stumps, or shrubs will stop some of it, forming little mounds. In time the mounds may grow into sand dunes.