وقتی که صحبت از “ساحل” میشود، به احتمال زیاد در ذهنتان تصویری زیبا و همیشگی از شن های زرد یا سفید رنگ نقش می بندد. موج هایی که روی هم سَر می خورند، آفتاب داغ و احتمالا لیوانهای رنگی مشروب خنک که تصویر را کامل تر می کنند. اما واقیعت این است که ساحل ها در شکل ها و طرح های گوناگون بوجود آمده اند. بیشترین تفاوت در جنس شن و ماسه های آنهاست. گروهی نیز به عنوان سرگرمی، به هر سفر ساحلی که می روند، مشتی شن را سوغات میاورند و در ظرفی استوانه ای روی شن های سواحل قبلی میریزند. با افزایش تعداد سفرها، لایه ها ی مختلفی از رنگ در استوانه شیشه ای پدیدار میشود. گاهی حتی در یک سمت شیشه با برچسب اسم ساحل و نقطه جغرافیایی آن را هم می چسبانند.
در واقع شکل این شن و ماسه ها بستگی به جنس آنها و نحوه برخورد امواج به ساحل آن منطقه شکل میگیرد. سواحل سبز رنگ که به ندرت دیده میشوند، احتمالا حاوی ماده ای به نام olivine هستند که باقی مانده از فوران های آتشفشانی اند. سواحل سیاه رنگ هم بقایای آتشفشان هستند. اما سواحل صورتی رنگ برمودا، بقایای مرجانهای رنگی هستند. در اینجا ۱۷ ساحل را میتوانند ببنید که هر کدام شکل متفاوتی دارند و شاید از تصویر همیشگی ذهنمان کمی متفاوت تر باشند.
Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas. The idyllic pink sand of the Bahamas is pigmented by washed-up coral remnants, which are dashed and ground to tiny pieces by the surf. Image credits: luxuo.com
Unique Glass Beach in California. The glass beach near Fort Bragg in California formed after the trash dumped there for years by local residents was pounded into sand by the surf. The dumping was eventually prohibited, but the glass sand remains.Image credits: digggs
Maldives Beach That Looks Like Starry Night Sky. The lights on this beach in the Maldives are caused by microscopic bioluminescent phytoplankton, which give off light when they are agitated by the surf.Image credits: Will Ho
Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii. The black sand on Punaluu is formed by basalt lava, which explodes as it flows into the sea and rapidly cools. Image credits: poco a poco
Red Sand Beach, Rabida, Galapagos.
The red sand at Rabida was formed due to the oxidization of iron-rich lava deposits, although it could also be due to washed-up coral sediments.
Red Sand Beach, Rabida, Galapagos. Image credits: Robert Peternel
The red sand at Rabida was formed due to the oxidization of iron-rich lava deposits, although it could also be due to washed-up coral sediments.
Hidden beach in Marieta, Mexico. This beach in Mexico is said to have formed after the Mexican government used the uninhabited islands for target practice in the 1900s.Image credits: dailymail.co.uk
Green Sand In Kourou, French Guiana. Image credits: Arria Belli
Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Australia. The water near Shell Beach in Australia is so saline that the cockle clam has been able to proliferate unchecked by its natural predators. It is this abundance of molluscs that floods the beaches with their shells.
Jokulsarlon, Iceland. The black volcanic sand on this Icelandic beach contrasts beautifully with the white and glassy chunks of ice. Image credits: Manisha Desai
Jokulsarlon, Iceland. The black volcanic sand on this Icelandic beach contrasts beautifully with the white and glassy chunks of ice.Image credits: D-P Photography
The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: arikairflight.blogspot.com
The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: Farkul J
The Beach of the Cathedrals, Ribadeo, Spain. The stunning cathedral-like arches and buttresses of this beach in Spain were formed by pounding water over thousands upon thousands years.. Image credits: imgur.com
Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii. The green sand on this beach in Hawaii is caused by the mineral olivine, which is formed by lava as it cools in the sea. Image credits: paradisepin.com
The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: Gerald Guerubin
Extreme Plane Landings at Maho Beach, Saint Martin. Image credits: Kent Miller
Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California. The purple sand at this beach (which is only found in patches) is formed when manganese garnet deposits in the surrounding hills erode into the sea. Image credits: irene joy
Unique Glass Beach in California. The glass beach near Fort Bragg in California formed after the trash dumped there for years by local residents was pounded into sand by the surf. The dumping was eventually prohibited, but the glass sand remains.
Cave Beach in Algarve,
The Algarve coast consists of limestone, which is easily eroded and can form stunning sea caves like this one. Portugal. Image credits: Bruno Carlos
Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California. The purple sand at this beach (which is only found in patches) is formed when manganese garnet deposits in the surrounding hills erode into the sea. Image credits: Tom Grubbe | dfmead
Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii. The green sand on this beach in Hawaii is caused by the mineral olivine, which is formed by lava as it cools in the sea. Image credits: Mark Ritter
Vik Beach, Iceland.
Iceland is a land with a lot of volcanic activity, which is why black volcanic beaches are so common there. Image credits: Stephan Amm
Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland. The giant’s causeway was formed 50-60 million years ago when basalt lava rose to the surface and cooled, cracking into strange, large columns. Image credits: Michael
Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas. The idyllic pink sand of the Bahamas is pigmented by washed-up coral remnants, which are dashed and ground to tiny pieces by the surf.Image credits: greenglobe.travel
Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland. The giant’s causeway was formed 50-60 million years ago when basalt lava rose to the surface and cooled, cracking into strange, large columns.Image credits: Stefan Klopp
Extreme Plane Landings at Maho Beach, Saint Martin. Image credits: Benny Zheng
Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii . The black sand on Punaluu is formed by basalt lava, which explodes as it flows into the sea and rapidly cools. Image credits: hawaiitopten.com
Hidden beach in Marieta, Mexico. This beach in Mexico is said to have formed after the Mexican government used the uninhabited islands for target practice in the 1900s.Image credits: Miguel Naranjo
Maldives Beach That Looks Like Starry Night Sky. The lights on this beach in the Maldives are caused by microscopic bioluminescent phytoplankton, which give off light when they are agitated by the surf.Image credits: Will Ho
