for the most part sand is either classified as coming from water or the desert.
while there is compositional differences the real reason for this dileniation is the shape of the granules,
the shape being affected by the way it was eroded (water or wind)
in actuality sand itself has little to do with material composition and instead is defined by size, sometimes refered to as ‘granules’ the sand is the next class smaller than pebbles
you can find a variety of sand all over the city, in my efforts I was able to find and collect sand about every two blocks. you can read about my doing so here
when looking to collect sand;
-go on a warm and or dry day, and if it’s even a day or two after a rain look for spots that get lots of sun, like curbs on the north side of the street
-check the ends of driveways, I’m not sure if it’s because people are attempting to ease the incline or if it’s just a product of being at the end of a hill (gravity)
-avoid looking under trees with needles, it’s already harder to find sand in shaded parts (more water, more dirt) but the gutters will instead be full of fallen needles
-take advantage of lighting, the low fall sun was helpful as some street sands have an iridescent quality, or at the very least sparkle (this can also work with streetlights)
-also check out new street repairs, bottoms of utility poles and in and around cuts
the really fascination in sand comes from the politics of its use as it is the most mined commodity in the world (when classed with gravel and other aggragates its 85%)1
for a pretty good overview here’s,
this really good article on the over use of sand
but here’s the highlights if you don’t want to read...
50 billion tons are mined a year for a surprising variety uses:
cement/concrete reinforcing
asphalt roads
elastic in clothing
anti-caking agent (in food)*
breast implants (part of silicone)
ceramics
glass and silicon for
tvs, smart phones, computers
fiber optic cables
sand blasting
fracking
...
cob
landscaping
decorating
leveling
hole filling
some images of sand I collected through a microscope I bought on craigslist
end notes:
I kinda worry about the toxcicity of the sand I collected,
but that’s a study for another day
something there to be said about cognitive dissonance and carcinogens
*can’t be bothered to write about all the deeper connections, so here’s the wikipedia article that covers aspects and all other uses like fireproofing and cement production https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_silicate
1. Hall, Matthew. “6 Things You Need to Know about Sand Mining.” Mining Technology (blog), May 7, 2020. https://www.mining-technology.com/features/six-things-sand-mining/