More About Oregon’s Beaches

 

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[Sunset Bay, on Cape Arago, Oregon]

About 60% of Oregon’s shoreline is sandy beach, most of those beaches are bordered north and south by rocky headlands.

The sand on Oregon’s beaches is primarily mineral sand, with most grains being a crystal or tiny chunk of rock.  (“Sand” is not a thing, but a size:  smaller bits are “silt” and larger bits are “gravel.”).
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[Close-up of Sunset Bay sand, photo by Rex Elliot.]

Different beaches have different sands primarily because the grains come from slightly different mixes of sources.  Dunes sand has a higher proportion of clear and beige crystals, and is generally more rounded.
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[Clockwise from left:  Bandon Beach (South Jetty), Oregon Dunes (Umpqua Dunes), Sunset Bay.]

The profile of most ocean beaches change with the seasons, with a summer profile that’s piled high with sand.
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[Davis, Richard.  The Evolving Coast.  1994.  Scientific American.]

Sometimes water or wind sort the various sand grains to produce stunning patterns on the beach.
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Want to learn more?  Contact us to arrange your own discovery of Oregon’s sandy beaches.