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Where does the sand come from?
Pensacola Beach proudly brags of the "world's whitest beaches," and it would be very hard to prove otherwise. Yet, if you asked everyone you knew why our beautiful sugar white sand is so unique, few of us could explain.
 | | Daniel Ewert / Special to Splash! |
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According to the National Parks Service, the white sands originated from the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago. When glaciers covering the Appalachians began to melt, they slowly crept down the sides of the moutains carving out and carrying with them despoits of quartz.
The quartz was broken down from the mountainsides to rivers; eventually the rivers transported the quartz into Apalachicola Bay in Northwest Florida. The quartz from Apalachicola Bay was deposited onto area shores and has been accumulating ever since.
If you think you came a long way to see our beautiful seashore, just think how far the quartz traveled to be here to greet you! The next time you hear someone exclaim about the sugar white sand that cushions our shore, you can let them know. . .
. . . it all began with quartz!
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