Visakhapatnam: A number of Vizagites are involved after sand in a specific stretch close to RK Seaside in Visakhapatnam turned black.
In accordance with consultants, coastal erosion-accretion cycle typically washes down mild minerals from coastal sediments into sea, leaving heavy density minerals (heavier than quartz) on the seashore.
The accrued heavy minerals are often of a darkish color, making the sand patches within the space look black. This specific strip close to RK Seaside is situated near the Naval Coast Battery junction, the place sand typically turns black, is a slender stretch in comparison with different elements of the seashore.
This is also the rationale for a better influence of the erosion-accretion cycle on this a part of the seashore, resulting in heavy mineral deposition and consequently leaving a black residue.
The world reported related black sand incident in August 2022.
For instance, black-sand formation will be noticed in some elements of the coast close to the Baruva seashore in Srikakulam district on a continuing foundation as a result of presence of heavy minerals.
In accordance with research, the heavy minerals within the seashore sand samples in these elements of south India is estimated at 12%. Ilmenite (titanium-iron oxide) accounts for about 50% of the overall heavy mineral composition within the seashore sand, adopted by rutile, garnet, zircon, monazite, sillimanite, and so on. Sand mining (separation of heavy minerals by means of uncooked sand processing) permission was given to a personal firm in Srikakulam district a few decade in the past. Nevertheless, it was later stopped as a result of Union authorities’s choice of not permitting non-public gamers into sand mining. The seashore sand comprises even radioactive minerals like monazite, which finds key software in defence and power techniques.
Former Andhra College geology professor Dr M Jagannadha Rao mentioned that the heavy minerals retained on the seashore combined with the sand over time offers it a black color.
“It’s a cyclical course of between the coastal erosion and accretion. The identical phenomenon occurred in a number of elements of the East Coast up to now. If one intently examines the black sand, he/she will be able to discover shining particles of varied heavy metals,” mentioned Prof Rao.
Former head of the division of meteorology and oceanography, Andhra College, OSRU Bhanu Kumar, mentioned that wave motion and sea currents, which rely upon varied elements, is just like that of the adjustments that occur on the land a part of the Earth. “These processes typically determine the color of the sand/land subsequent to sea,” mentioned Prof Bhanu Kumar.

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