Sand from perhaps the smallest “beach” that I have visited and sampled. One of the items on the varied agenda of a recent long weekend in Central Java (varied in the way that part of the world uniquely and fascinatingly offers) was an exploration of a few of the small beaches on Java’s south coast. My intention was to avoid the crowds at the large, popular, beaches (the day of the visit being Sunday) and find a couple of the small coves that nestle between the spectacular cliffs of that part of the coast. The first destination was Ngobaran – and it certainly fulfilled the criterion of a “small beach.” Dramatic and rugged limestone cliffs face the incoming waves of the Indian Ocean, and the constant kinetics of the place leave little opportunity for sand grains to gather. But, in a small area sheltered by massive boulders, a patch of coarse sand had accumulated:
And here it is, the usual mix of local ingredients, including many of the little spherical forams, so common in these parts and looking for all the world like natural ball-bearings:
In detail, the varied patterns and textures are endless:
And, as further geo-entertainment, the weathering of the limestone boulders produced a starkly rugged form of tafoni:
And, as I watched the Indian Ocean waves roll in, I was inspired to play with the the high-speed burst function of my camera and experiment with catching the action – nothing to do directly with sand, so please excuse my self-indulgence:
Micro and macro, you are good with that camera. Thanks for the images.
Posted by: Richard Bready | April 21, 2012 at 07:15 AM
Really like the blog, appreciate the share!
Posted by: Maureen | April 23, 2012 at 03:10 AM
Please forgive me, but "salt water tafoni". Just because.
Posted by: F | April 29, 2012 at 03:17 AM
Forgiven! Wish I'd thought of it....
For those readers unfamiliar with the joys of dental-filling-extracting salt water taffy, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_water_taffy.
Posted by: Sandglass | April 29, 2012 at 05:54 AM