Change of Pace

have you heard of booming sand?

some types of sand make a vibration, or even a musical whistling, booming, croaking or squeaking. 

some interesting facts about singing sand (from nova online):

·         only around 30 "booming" dunes are known worldwide—in deserts and on beaches in hawaii, north and south america, africa, the middle east, and asia

·         booming sand dunes sound like instruments because, as opposed to squeaking sands, the noise they produce lasts longer (up to 15 minutes in large dunes) and it emanates at a single, steady musical tone

·         booming sand starts with a dune made of sand that has traveled long distances from its original source

·         the sand's lengthy, windy journey means that grains deposited on the surface of the dune are extremely round, smooth, and uniform

·         a desert rainstorm must take place, washing dust and other foreign particles from among the surface grains; the topmost sand must then dry out over a period of weeks while the sand beneath remains relatively moist

·         booming can be heard more than six miles away

·         in squeaking sand, noise-producing displacement can occur merely by stepping on the sand with your foot

you can listen online