A microscopic look at why the world is running out of sand

Humans are using more sand than the Earth is naturally producing, and that’s a problem for the global construction industry. But it turns out that the usefulness of sand depends on the science of each tiny little grain. We went on a sand scavenger hunt to collect some samples, look at them under a microscope, and try to figure out why sand scarcity is such a problem.

Video: William Poor, Alex Parkin, Cory Zapatka
Additional Camera: Cynthia Gil, Tom Connors
Audio: Andrew Marino
Director of Audience Development: Ruben Salvadori
Social Media Manager: Dilpreet Kainth

[VergeScience]

What else should we look at under our microscope?

[wkm]

The fact that you made sand interesting for 7.5 minutes is quite an accomplishment. Well done!

[sumanthkashyap]

Sand Mafia is a real problem here in India. The disappearance of river beds have made the water in the river move with more velocity making it dangerous to dip in.

[Halberddent]

"Oh what do you do for work?"

"I make small rocks outta big rocks."

[jerri]

So young sand is edgy? Youth these days.

[allansh]

I grew up in rural China. I saw a mountain(about 200m tall from ground) in front of my villege disappeared gradually because people were mining rocks for construction.

[SussyFortskinNiteFreakbob]

Sand dealer: yeah this is 100 percent sand

Me: you sure your not a cop

[andreas]

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

[deeb]

Thanos shouldve turned people to sand not dust.

[skyfish-kjww]

i wanna see the environmental impacts. broadening rivers by removing sand and potentially increasing sediment in those rivers can’t be too good for those ecosystems

[Taikamuna]

I never thought sand would be interesting

[alusias]

I know this sounds weird but i wanna sort sand grains as a hobby

[awesomehpt]

Anakin Skywalker will be pleased. He doesn’t like sand.

[afh]

The video discusses sand for concrete, but another use of sand that is affected by the shortage of the right type of sand is beach renourishment. Beach renourishment requires the right sand in the right place or else it can erode too quickly. I think there are a couple cases in Florida where the wrong type of sand was used to replenish beaches and The new sand was eroded within a year or two. That's the only context in which I had heard about the sand shortage before, not sand used for concrete.

[tjwest]

Anyone else notice the one long grain at 6:59 that looks like it's got shades on?
He went on the coolest journey of all. 😎

[stephenyoung]

As a small correction, you mention that the round sand is used in concrete. The two types are commonly known as soft and sharp sand, only sharp sand is used in concrete as it can take more weathering and binds much stronger. The soft sand (round egdes) is used for things like laying brick as it has a softer smoother feel and can be worked much easier in smaller amounts, from a trowel for instance.

[PURESTonROBLOX]

So they can grow diamonds but they cant make sand?

[NoNo-nztb]

1. Set up coral farms
2. Get parrot fish
3. Farm parrot fish poop (which is literally sand)

[TheAssyrianking]

Damnit now im worried about sand, add that to the listn

[lepterfirefall]

Better to say world is running out of sand of a certain type. The Sahara desert kind of shows there is plenty of sand.