Why are some beaches sand and some stones?
Question
We went to a stony beach last week, then just up the road, went to a pebble beach. So why are the beaches made of different things? Why isn’t Brighton beach a sandy beach?Andy, Westerham
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: Tim, Wimbledon
Qualification: Beach bum
Answer: The bedrock decides what type of beach it is. If it’s sandstone, you’ll have a sandy beach; if it’s flint, you’ll get flint; chalk like Dover, you’ll get a chalky beach.
** Wrong Answer **
Name: James O’Brien
Qualification: Master of Mystery Hour
Answer: All beaches used to be made of pebbles, due to the tide deposits. But over thousands of years, all the pebbles have knocked together and turned themselves into sand.