The source of the iron in the Washington beaches is probably from the
extensive basalt lava flows in the northwestern USA.   Basalt is a mafic
rock composed mostly of iron and magnesium silicates. There are many fewer
mafic rocks inland from Santa Cruz.


At 03:27 PM 9/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
>In working with my kids at SVJH in Gilroy, I had one student ask the
>following:
>
>He was doing an experiment to determine the amount of iron in the sand
>at various beaches. He noted that sand from a beach in the state of
>Washington had about 5 times as much iron as one from Santa Cruz, CA.
>His conclusion was that the closer you get to the N or S pole, the
>stronger the magnetic field, and that's why there is more iron in the
>sand the further north you go.
>
>So what do I tell him.....      Thanks Jan
>
>
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Robert Mathieson
Culver-Stockton College
Canton, MO 63435
(217)231-6000
rmathieson@..........

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