Sands from Squeaky Beach and adjacent beaches on Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia
Memoirs of Museum Victoria Vol 33 p. 47–54 (1972)
Abstract
The textural and constituent composition of eight sand samples from Squeaky Beach and adjacent beaches on Wilsons Promontory, and one sample from the Squeaky Beach foredune are described. The Squeaky Beach sands are composed almost entirely of quartz grains which are very uniform in size (of medium sand size), are mostly surrounded to rounded, and have a fairly high degree of sphericity. Sand samples from Picnic and Norman Bay beaches contain nearly 40 per cent of organogenic carbonate. They are not as well sorted as the Squeaky Beach sands, the grains have a lower degree of roundness, and their maximum size-grade is fine sand.
The squeaking sound emitted by the dry sand of Squeaky Beach when walked on results probably from shearing of successive layers of the regularly packed grains. The eroding Squeaky Beach foredune appears to be the immediate source of much of the sand of the adjoining beach. The primary source of the sand minerals is almost certainly the Wilsons Promontory Granite. The relatively high content of organogenic carbonate in the Picnic and Norman Bay sands has probably come mainly from the disintegration of local aeolianite.
The marked suitability of the Squeaky Beach sand for the preservation of flowers and foliage is apparently related to its composition of very uniform rounded quartz grains. They permit even contact between sand and plant plus adequate aeration for drying.
PUBLICATION DATE: 7 February 1972