REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - A strange phenomenon is unfolding at Revere Beach, where the sand’s otherworldly look has a very earthly explanation.
The sand at Revere Beach now appears pink and purple from the air, and no – it’s not a prank in time for Valentine’s Day. Experts think the color came from as far north as Mt. Washington, when minerals washed downstream after rain and snow caused flooding.
“So it took a lot more stream flow to move those minerals,” said Jay Broccolo of the Mt. Washington Observatory. “.So now that a couple of weeks has gone by those minerals have now moved out into the ocean.”
The minerals are most likely rose quartz and garnet. Pink and dark red stones that mix in with the sand’s usual makeup.
“Garnets are really hard mineral, it’s one of the hardest out there,” Broccolo said. “And they’re heavy. So that’s why we’re seeing it now with all the recent flooding. But now, if anything, it’s just a sign that we haven’t had this type of flooding in a long time.”
Scientists also say this sand isn’t harmful, though it may feel a bit more abrasive than usual. The color should be all washed away after our next storm.
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