Grand Cayman

International Space Station 250mm Photograph

Image credit: Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov)

7 Mile Beach Sample #1	7 Mile Beach Sample #2
7 Mile Beach Sample #3	Bodden Town Beach
Georgetown	Rum Point

The Caymans is our favorite spot in the Caribbean. As you can see from the images the sand is entirely made from organic debris. Most of it supposedly is the solid waste from Parrot Fish, or so the story goes.

C. C. Lindgren Photograph

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

1X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

2X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Seven Mile Beach Sample #2

D. Kraver Photograph

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Seven Mile Beach Sample #3

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

REFLECTANCE SPECTRUM

1X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Rum Point

Return to Top

D. Kraver Photograph

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Bodden Town Beach 19.28N, 81.25W

Return to Top

D. Kraver Photograph

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Georgetown

Return to Top

ZERO MAGNIFICATION IMAGE

REFLECTANCE SPECTRUM

1X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

3X MAGNIFICATION (RED LINE = 1MM)

Sample #3 from 7 Mile Beach was contributed by Nick H., a student at the Gates Intermediate School, Scituate, Massachusetts. It is significantly different from all of the other samples from Grand Cayman because it is almost all quartz crystals instead of shell fragments! Why such a dramatic difference? Possibly the sand was imported from a different location such as Florida.

The Georgetown sample was contributed by Kim W., a student at the Gates Intermediate School, Scituate, Massachusetts.