The National Park Service (NPS) has issued a new warning for travelers visiting public lands in the southwest United States.
Officials at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes areas between the Utah and Arizona border, have reported quicksand near the shoreline and in drainages throughout the park.
Encompassing more than 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon offers opportunities for visitors to explore and enjoy Lake Powell and the surrounding lands, stretching from Northern Arizona through Southern Utah. The park features rugged, high-desert terrain with a vast landscape of buttes, mesas, canyons and cliffs.
But hidden underneath the surface is the ever-present danger of quicksand.
Quicksand is a mixture of sand and water or sand and air that appears solid, but becomes unstable when disturbed, according to Scientific America. As opposed to regular sand, quicksand is like a house of cards in that the space between the cards is greater than the space occupied by the cards. This results in the sand collapsing, or becoming “quick,” when force overcomes the friction holding the grains together.
“It can appear dry and firm on the surface but may suddenly give way,” the NPS alert says. “Recognize unstable, shifting or unusually soft ground, and use caution when entering through these areas.”
The NPS says quicksand can usually be identified by spotting wet, loose or unusually smooth ground. When stepped near, the ground may “move, ripple, or subtly vibrate, indicating insufficient support below the surface.”
If a visitor does encounter quicksand, the NPS recommends they stay calm and avoid sudden movements as panicked motion may cause the body to sink deeper. Instead, lean back to spread out body weight and shift into a reclined or sitting-back position to help the body float.
Melinda
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