• Question: I went on an oceanography trip and we looked at sand. I know that It has a layer of oxygenated sand on the top and the rest has no oxygen and that it is black but I forgot to ask why is it smells like rotten eggs? What is your opinion?

    Asked by syra kate to Chris, Hayley, Jimi on 17 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      The most common type of sand is mostly silicon dioxide.

      The smell is probably sulphur, which likely means there’s sulphur-making algae on the beach.

    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      The smell would be sulphur which can build up by the sea because of different algae and plants. It’ll be all the organisms around it as well as breaking down on the sand too.

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