Search results
- DictionaryQuick·sand/ˈkwikˌsand/
noun
- 1. loose wet sand that yields easily to pressure and sucks in anything resting on or falling into it: "it's best to travel with a local as there are quicksands"
Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight.
People also ask
Does quicksand really exist?
Is quicksand really that deadly?
Is quicksand a liquid or a solid?
Is quicksand actually a real thing?
Dec 4, 2019 · Quicksand is a mixture of two phases of matter that pack together to produce a surface that looks solid but collapses from weight or vibration. It can be a mixture of sand and water, silt and water, clay and water, sediment and water, or even sand and air.
- Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Sep 7, 2023 · Quicksand is nothing more than a soupy mixture of sand and water. It can occur anywhere under the right conditions, according to Denise Dumouchelle, geologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
- Kevin Bonsor
Quicksand—that is, sand that behaves as a liquid because it is saturated with water—can be a mucky nuisance, but it’s basically impossible to die in the way that is depicted in movies. That’s because quicksand is denser than the human body.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 28, 2005 · Researchers in the Netherlands and France studied quicksand, a combination of fine sand, clay, and salt water. At rest, quicksand thickens with time, but it remains very sensitive to small...
Sep 8, 2021 · Quicksand can be found in many places across Australia and doesn’t need saltwater to form. It is primarily found where creeks and rivers flow into the sea, on the beach at low tide, along riverbanks or in rivers with sandy bottoms.
Jul 3, 2006 · Quicksand is a mixture of sand and water, or sand and air, that looks solid, but becomes unstable when disturbed by any additional stress.
