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QuicksandWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Quicksand
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Quicksandisacolloidhydrogelconsistingoffinegranularmaterial
(suchassandorsilt),clay,andwater.
Quicksandformsinsaturatedloosesandwhenthesandissuddenly
agitated.Whenwaterinthesandcannotescape,itcreatesaliquefied
soilthatlosesstrengthandcannotsupportweight.Quicksandcan
forminstandingwaterorinupwardsflowingwater(asfroman
artesianspring).Inthecaseofupwardsflowingwater,seepage
forcesopposetheforceofgravityandsuspendthesoilparticles.
Thesaturatedsedimentmayappearquitesoliduntilasudden
changeinpressureorshockinitiatesliquefaction.Thiscausesthe
sandtoformasuspensionandlosestrength.Thecushioningof
watergivesquicksand,andotherliquefiedsediments,aspongy,
fluidliketexture.Objectsinliquefiedsandsinktothelevelatwhich
theweightoftheobjectisequaltotheweightofthedisplaced
soil/watermixandthesubmergedobjectfloatsduetoitsbuoyancy.

Quicksandandwarningsignata
gravelquarry.

Liquefactionisaspecialcaseofquicksand.Inthiscase,sudden
earthquakeforcesimmediatelyincreasetheporepressureofshallow
groundwater.Thesaturatedliquefiedsoillosesstrength,causingbuildingsorotherobjectsonthatsurface
tosinkorfall.

Contents
1Properties
2Prevalence
3Infiction
4Inmusic
5Seealso
6References
7Externallinks

Properties
QuicksandisashearthinningnonNewtonianfluid:whenundisturbed,itoftenappearstobesolid("gel"
form),butaminor(lessthan1%)changeinthestressonthequicksandwillcauseasuddendecreaseinits
viscosity("sol"form).Afteraninitialdisturbancesuchasapersonattemptingtowalkonitthewater
andsandinthequicksandseparateanddenseregionsofsandsedimentformitisbecauseoftheformation
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ofthesehighvolumefractionregionsthattheviscosityofthequicksandseemstodecreasesuddenly.
Someonesteppingonitwillstarttosink.Tomovewithinthequicksand,apersonorobjectmustapply
sufficientpressureonthecompactedsandtoreintroduceenoughwatertoliquefyit.Theforcesrequiredto
dothisarequitelarge:toremoveafootfromquicksandataspeedof.01m/swouldrequirethesame
amountofforceas"thatneededtoliftamediumsizedcar."[1]
Quicksanditselfisharmlessahumanoranimalisunlikelytosinkentirelyintoquicksandduetothehigher
densityofthefluid(assumingthequicksandisondrygroundandnotunderwater).Continuedorpanicked
movementmaycausethevictimtosinkdeeper,leadingtobeliefthatquicksandisdangerous.Becauseit
increasinglyimpairshumanlocomotion,itallowsharsherelementssuchassunlight,dehydration,
carnivores,omnivores,hypothermiaortidestoharmatrappedperson.[2]Quicksandmaybeescapedby
slowmovementofthelegsinordertoreduceviscosityofthefluid,androtationofthebodysoastofloatin
thesupineposition.[3]

Prevalence
Quicksandmaybefoundinland(onriverbanks,nearlakes,orinmarshes),ornearthecoast.

Infiction
Peoplefallinginto(and,unrealistically,beingsubmergedin)quicksandorasimilarsubstanceisatropeof
adventurefiction,notablyinmovies.AccordingtoSlate,thisgimmickhaditsheydayinthe1960s,when
almost3%ofallfilmsshowedsomeonesinkinginmud,sand,orclay,butithassincefallenoutofuse.The
proliferationofquicksandscenesinmovieshasgivenrisetoaninternetsubculturescenededicatedtothe
topic.[4]OneoftheearliestpopularfictionalreferencestoquicksandoccursinLesMiserables,wherein
VictorHugodedicatestwochapterstothesubject.
InRobertLouisStevensonsThePavilionintheLinksquicksandplaysanimportantrole.TheTamil
languagemovieMellaThirandhathuKadhavuusesquicksandasamajorplotpointintheflashbackpartsof
theprotagonist'sstory.

Inmusic
PeteSeeger'ssong"WaistDeepintheBigMuddy"mentionssomeonedrowningaftergettingstuckin
quicksand.[5]TheCharlieDanielsBandsong,"TheLegendofWooleySwamp"mentionsthreeyoungmen
whodrowninquicksandshortlyafterkillingandrobbinganelderlymanandtryingtogetawaywiththe
moneytheystole.
AmericansingerBritneySpearsrecordedasongcalled"Quicksand",writtenbyLadyGaga,forher2008
albumCircus.Thesongtellsthestoryaboutagirlwhocannotseemtoforgetherexboyfriendandusesthe
analogyofquicksandtosayshestillloveshim,asiftheyarestill"sinking".In2014theindierockband
BadSunsreleasedasongtitled"DancingonQuicksand".

Seealso
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Dryquicksand
Muck
Quickcondition

References
1. Khaldoun,A.,E.Eiser,G.H.Wegdam,andDanielBonn.2005."Rheology:Liquefactionofquicksandunder
stress."(http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v437/n7059/full/437635a.html)Nature437(29Sept.):635.
doi:10.1038/437635a(https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2F437635a)
2. DiscoveryChannel.MythBusters.Season2."KillerQuicksand."October20,2004.
3. Bakalarfor,Nicholas(September28,2005)."QuicksandScience:WhyItTraps,HowtoEscape"
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0928_050928_quicksand.html).NationalGeographicNews.
RetrievedOctober9,2011.
4. Engber,Daniel(23August2010)."TerraInfirma:Theriseandfallofquicksand."
(http://www.slate.com/id/2264312/).Slate.Retrieved23August2010.
5. Seeger,Pete."HOWWAISTDEEPINTHEBIGMUDDYFINALLYGOTONNETWORKTELEVISIONIN
1968"(http://www.peteseeger.net/givepeacechance.htm).PeteSeegerAppreciation.JimCapaldi.Retrieved
2August2013.

Externallinks
Howstuffworks.comHowquicksandworks
(http://science.howstuffworks.com/quicksand.htm)

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoQuicksand.

"Whatisquicksand?"(http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?
id=whatisquicksand).ScientificAmerican.
Videoshowingquicksandinasandpit(http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Swdm4j4tpN0&feature=plcp)YouTube
Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quicksand&oldid=655608835"
Categories: Sediments Geologicalhazards Soilmechanics
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