Will a beach always be a beach?

[flobadob]

We were walking the beach tonight and I was telling my son that the sand is made up of dead sea creatures crushed up over millions of years, I hope that is correct for a start. But will places that are beaches now remain beaches or what will they become over a few more million years?

[Andyvon]

Beaches have been around since the oceans formed about 4 billion years ago Flobadob. Beaches are generally formed from whichever material is endemic to a particular area.

The golden sandy beaches in the UK are mostly formed from eroded quartz, flint and other minerals that comprise the rocks of our shores. The brilliant white sandy beaches common in the Pacific atolls and other areas of the tropics are formed from broken shells and eroded coral from the local reef. Volcanic islands usually have black sand beaches which is eroded basalt. I visited Iceland many years ago where all the beaches are black. The first time I walked on a beach I remember being especially struck by the sight of the white surf creaming up the black sand beach. Other volcanic islands have black sand too, such as Hawaii.

[flobadob]

But do you think sand will most likely keep forming at thse locations or will the sand one day condense into rock, or will it all be washed away. As I say, will they remain beaches in the future?

[whiskeryron]

Come on flobadob you know very well that when you came away from the beach it was rolled up & put away until the next time you visited.

W Ron.

[LoftyLottie]

And there are towns that used to have beaches and are now about a mile away from the sea So it works the other way round.