Science & technology | Name that dune

The sound of sand reveals its source

It’s all about the ancient shellfish

LIFT A SHELL from the sand to your ear and everyone knows you can hear the sea. But listen carefully enough and you can hear shells in the sand too. Sand, it turns out, has a signature sound of its own, and now scientists have found a way to tune in.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Name that dune”

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