quicksand
Sign in to savethumb|right|Quicksand and a warning sign about it at a gravel quarry in England thumb|Quicksand on the River Thames|Thames Quicksand, also known as sinking sand, is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upward flowing water (as from an artesian spring). In the case of upward-flowing water, forces oppose the force of gravity
AI overview
Quicksand is a mixture of fine granular material like sand or silt combined with water that forms when saturated loose sand is suddenly agitated, creating a liquefied soil that loses its ability to support weight. It can develop in standing water or where water flows upward, and it matters because it presents a hazard in certain environments like gravel quarries and along rivers.
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- In popular culture
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thumb|right|Quicksand and a warning sign about it at a gravel quarry in England thumb|Quicksand on the River Thames|Thames Quicksand, also known as sinking sand, is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upward flowing water (as from an artesian spring). In the case of upward-flowing water, forces oppose the force of gravity and suspend the soil particle.
The cushioning of water gives quicksand, and other liquefied sediments, a spongy, fluid-like texture. In accordance with Archimedes' principle, objects in liquefied sand sink to the level at which the weight of the object is equal to the weight of the displaced soil/water mix and the submerged object floats due to its buoyancy.