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Quarto Publishes 'The Secrets of Sand'
22 September 2015
You may not learn why sand always sticks to your skin but you'll forget you ever wondered about it when you look through Quarto Publishing Group's The Secrets of Sand: A Journey into the Amazing Microscopic World of Sand.
The book features over 100 beautiful and incredibly detailed photos of sand grains taken through high-powered microscopes. The sand, from beaches, rivers, deserts and the moon, look like tiny sculptures, every grain unique and many vividly colored.
Viewed this closely, the images show sand is not just a product of the erosion of rocks. It's also contains biological material. Depending on where it's found, sand is a collection of micro-shells, coral, bits of volcano, animals and more. So when you walk along a beach you're walking on millions and millions of years of biological and geological history.
Co-author and principal photographer Dr. Gary Greenberg has developed high definition, three-dimensional light microscopes, holds 18 patents, and has always been fascinated by the microscopic world. His 12-minute 2012 TEDxMaui talk demonstrates the power of electron microscope photography:
We took a brief look through an advance copy and were charmed by the overlooked jewels we bring home from the beach. A Corsican marine microorganism especially wowed us, requiring focus stacking of 12 images to portray it in focus.
The Secrets of Sand: A Journey into the Amazing Microscopic World of Sand will be released Oct. 1. For more information see the news release below.
The Secrets of Sand: A Journey into the Amazing Microscopic World of Sand
To the naked eye, a grain of sand might not seem like anything special. Under a high-powered microscope, however, it's a completely different story. High magnification a new world of brilliant colors organic shapes and the stunning patterns of nature. Whether you are walking along a beach, traversing a vast desert landscape, or making a giant leap for mankind, you are treading upon millions of years of geological history.
The Secrets of Sand is a virtual tour of this tiny world, showcasing sands from North America and beyond in running detail. From the shores of the Great Lakes to the volcanic sands of Hawaii to the moon dust brought back by the Apollo astronauts, all particles are snapshots in time, each originating somewhere and heading somewhere else.
Through the technology of deep-focus X-ray and scanning electron microscope photography, we can reveal their mysteries: where they came from, what they're made of, and the environments that shaped them.
Twenty-first century microscope technology means readers can explore how different environments shape grains of sand into nature's tiny works of art. Featuring over 100 images, the amazing, three-dimensional microscopic photography reveals that each particle is a jewel waiting to be discovered and very often look like jewels and gemstones. In addition, each sand grain has its own story to tell. Viewed so close, the images show that sand is not just a product of the erosion of rocks, it's also contains biological material. Depending on where it's found, sand is a collection of micro-shells, coral, bits of volcano, animals and more. Essentially, when you walk along a beach you're walking on millions and millions of years of biological and geological history.
The pictures are truly stunning and explore the boundaries between art and science in a way that inspires the imagination. Viewed so close, vibrant colors abound. Some particles are flat and round, others jagged and sharp. Beach sand looks remarkably different than river or desert sand. To the naked eye, lunar sand looks charcoal gray; under a high-powered microscope each particle is unique and many feature multiple colors. The book dispels the myth that sand is merely a collection of tiny brown particles.
With expertly written text and over one hundred captivating high-resolution photographs The Secrets of Sand is an amazing voyage of discovery through the ancient past -- and the dynamic present -- of Earth and its nearest neighbor.
About the Authors
Dr. Gary Greenberg is a photographer and filmmaker with a Ph.D. in biomedical research. In his work he creates new ways to capture the spectacular landscapes that are hidden from everyday perception inside grains of sand, human cells and flower petals.. Dr. Greenberg earned his doctorate in developmental biology from University College London and later joined the faculty at the University of Southern California. Co-founder of Edge Scientific Instrument Corp., he developed high-definition 3D light microscopes, for which he has been issued nineteen U.S. patents. He is currently a Research Affiliate at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy.
Carol Kiely is Adjunct Professor at Lehigh University and a lecturer in the Lehigh Microscopy School. Her latest work focuses on the study of lunar particles using a combination of light, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microscopy.
Kate Clover is Gallery Program Manager at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. She currently serves as education advisor for the International Sand Collectors Society.