What causes wet beach sand to light up when you kick it on a dark night?

Subject: What causes wet beach sand to light up when you kick it on a dark night?

Date: Tue Nov 13 18:01:49 2001
Posted by Diane
Grade level: 10-12 School: North Bend High
City: North Bend State/Province: OR Country: USA
Area of science: General Biology
ID: 1005692509.Gb

Message:


  I live on the Oregon coast.  For years I've noticed (and so have my friends) 
that sand "sparkles" on really dark nights if you kick at it.  I think that a 
marine biology teacher told me that it was a type of plankton that lights up 
when it's disturbed.  How does this happen?

Re: What causes wet beach sand to light up when you kick it on a dark night?

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