Comment

White sand is calcium carbonate that has been eroded down to sand size particles. One way that happens is by parrot fish grinding it up, but weathering surely created the vast majority of it.

source

Sort:hotnew top

CatsGoMOW@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
animalsaroundtheglobe.com/why-parrotfish-poop-whi…

source
- FishFace@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  How does that compare to the quantity of sand already in existence? There was a long period of time (millions and millions of years) when there were no parrotfish, but billions of tons of calcium carbonate being eroded by the weather.
  
  source
  - Abyssian@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    What a stupid thing to bicker about. Good work, people on the internet. o_O
    
    source
    prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    I didn’t read it as bickering at all, just two people with an interest in sand, trying to get to the truth.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
    FishFace@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    We’ve all got our hobbies
    
    source
  - CatsGoMOW@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Could very well have been other animals over time.
    
    source
  - can@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    How much of all the planet’s sand is on beaches frequenteeed by humans? Perhaps the interesting samples are over-represented but they’re still neat.
    
    source
  - mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    
    How does that compare to the quantity of sand already in existence?
    
    Seeing as there’s now a shortage of water-eroded sand, probably a good portion of it
    
    source
    FishFace@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Are you thinking of sand that’s easily accessible (so not under many metres of sea) and suitable for use in concrete?
    
    source