Shifting sands

[Boyd]

My driveway is just a little sand road, and yesterday I was thinking it "felt" funny when I drove down it. Was even more noticeable today. There are normally two very well packed tire tracks down the length of the driveway. Well today, the sand was very soft, almost sugary in a couple spots - I left tracks as I drove down. Seemed very unusual to me, usually the depth of the puddles is the only thing that changes.

So I'm thinking that the very cold temperatures followed by a quick thaw have loosened up the packed sand and made it soft again. Does that make sense? Anyone else seeing a similar phenomenon on sand roads? I think this is the first winter in recent years where we've had a cold spell this severe.

 

[Teegate]

Sounds reasonable.

 

[johnnyb]

When Ro & i were down at Estell Manor Park (I think I got spelling correct) the other day we parked at the boat launch lot. I remarked to Ro that we'd had a really deep freeze and a subsequent thaw, as I was leaving 1/2 inch deep footprints on what should have been a very hard surface. Reminded me of my years up in central PA with its hard winters when I worked at a field station in their Pinelands near Scotia. Where it has snowed in July, but that, too, is another story.

 

[46er]

So I'm thinking that the very cold temperatures followed by a quick thaw have loosened up the packed sand and made it soft again. Does that make sense? Anyone else seeing a similar phenomenon on sand roads? I think this is the first winter in recent years where we've had a cold spell this severe.

Makes total sense. The packed path surface out back under the tree's is firm under foot but freezes and looks like it has a crinkle finish, yet when walked on is hard as a rock. Once it warms up it is very soft. Samething happens with soil. There has to be moisture in it for that to happen.

 

[bobpbx]

I postulate a theory herein (harrumph!). It rained, but then the water froze before it could filter down further. As the ice formed it expanded and pushed the grains apart. When it thawed, they mostly stayed apart because the coarse edges kind of trap each other from moving. It was not until the weight of a car or truck passed that they sunk back into a more densely packed state (eventually).