Blog - Through the sandglass

art books climate_change education geology geomorphology history photography rivers_water sand science

November 2008

Musings and news on the extraordinary stories sand has to tell of our planet and daily lives

November 1, 2008 3 min read

Evolution - organic and inorganic

org" original_url: ‘ https://throughthesandglass.typepad.com/through_the_sandglass/2008/12/evolution---org.html ’ canonical_url: ‘ https://throughthesandgl...

November 24, 2025 8 min read

art books climate_change coastal education geology geomorphology history photography rivers_water sand science travel

Sand, Earth Systems, and the Importance of Size

Now, back to the subject of this blog, but still following the global theme. In the course of researching and writing the book, I learned a lot and came across...

December 1, 2008 8 min read

art books climate_change education environment geology geomorphology history photography sand science travel

December 2008

Musings and news on the extraordinary stories sand has to tell of our planet and daily lives

December 1, 2008 6 min read

art books coastal education geology history photography sand science travel

Tsunami forensics - sand helping save lives

I was enjoying the cultural splendours of St Petersburg when the devastating tsunami of December 2004 hit. Since the only source of information that CNN news co...

December 1, 2008 6 min read

art coastal education environment history photography sand science travel wildlife

Grain-by-Grain (1): worm superglue

We are not the only species that builds homes and condominium complexes from sand. For example, some foraminifera construct shells from sand grains, as does the...

January 1, 2009 4 min read

art education environment geology history photography rivers_water sand travel

Grain-by-Grain (2): the amazing sand bottles of Andrew Clemens

Sand has always provided a medium, a muse, an inspiration in many ways, but the way in which it inspired Andrew Clemens was extraordinary - and unique. Clemens...

January 1, 2009 13 min read

art books climate_change environment geology photography sand science travel

Granular stuff, earthquakes, and power laws - again

Back in November, in my post on the sandglass, I commented that watching avalanches of sand in a sandglass is to witness one of nature’s most fundamental laws i...

January 1, 2009 4 min read

art climate_change coastal education environment history photography sand science travel wildlife

Of Mice and Sand - Evolution in Action

This is the year of the great Darwinfest and, inevitably, sand makes its contribution. The immediate reference would be to the “sand walk” at Down House in the...

January 1, 2009 6 min read

art coastal education environment geology history photography sand science travel

Sediment Budget Busting

Sometimes you have to wonder. And the good tax-paying citizens of Bournemouth are certainly wondering. An article in yesterday’s UK Guardian newspaper highlight...

January 1, 2009 6 min read

art books coastal education geomorphology history photography rivers_water sand science travel wildlife

The man who figured out how deserts work

Among the many things that are intoxicating about the desert, the things that draw us back, I find the silence perhaps the most compelling. In a world where noi...

January 1, 2009 16 min read