04 June 2023 , 09:38
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Beachgoers have been warned to be on the lookout after an unusual sight at a popular beach at the weekend.
Visitors to the Welsh beach reported strange bubbles coming up from a pool in the sand at the seaside in Porthcawl.
The bubbles could be seen in a shallow pool a short distance from the tide at Rest Bay, Wales Online reports.
The pool, which contained extremely cold water despite the glorious sunshine that day, could be seen to have soft sand covering the bottom.
People, especially children are advised to stay away from areas of any beach which look like this as it is possibly sinking sand.
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People have been warned to keep away (Media Wales)Sinking sand, or quicksand as it’s sometimes called, usually consists of sand that’s become waterlogged. Sand can become so saturated with water that it reduces friction between particles, meaning it can’t hold as much weight from above.
Last year, a couple encountered a similar sight in Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire. On that occasion. The woman who spotted it said: “The sand was like sinking sand. I had wellies on and my whole welly went down and could have kept going further if I didn’t pull it out.
“It was quite scary because the tide was coming in. It could be dangerous if someone got stuck.”
It's thought that sinking sand is often caused by an underground spring. A spring is the point at which groundwater discharges onto the surface.
Water moves at different rates though the ground depending on its flow path and the permeability of the geological layers. Springs occur when water pressure causes a natural flow of groundwater onto the earth’s surface.
One geological structure commonly associated with springs is a layer of permeable soil or rock overlying an impermeable one.