Stanford researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based tool - dubbed SandAI - that can reveal the history of quartz sand grains going back hundreds of millions of years. With SandAI, researchers can tell with high accuracy if wind, rivers, waves, or glacial movements shaped and deposited motes of sand.
The tool gives researchers a unique window into the past for geological and archeological studies, especially for eras and environments where few other clues, such as fossils, are preserved through time. SandAI's approach, called microtextural analysis, can also help with modern-day forensic investigations into illegal sand mining and related issues.
"Working on sedimentary deposits that haven't been disturbed or deformed feels about as close as you can get to being in a time machine - you're seeing exactly what was on the surface of Earth, even hundreds of millions of years ago. SandAI adds another layer of detail to the information we can pull from them," said Michael Hasson, a PhD candidate with Mathieu Lapôtre, an assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Hasson is lead author of a new study demonstrating the tool, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Telltale signatures
Historically, microtextural analysis has been done by hand and eye, using magnifying glasses and microscopes to attempt to draw inferences about sand grains' histories. Modern science has validated the approach, showing that transport mechanisms do indeed impart telltale signatures - for example, grains that traveled farther often appear more rounded because they've had their sharp corners dulled; waves and wind also leave distinctive abrasion patterns.
","additional":{"file_info":{"file_name":"SandAI_1-microscopy.jpg","size_readable":"823.4 KB","size_bytes":843134,"width":1500,"height":1068,"modified_readable":"Sep 11, 2024 2:42 PM","modified_unix":1726090934},"varieties":[{"id":"159314:v1","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"100w","short_name":"100w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/100w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/100w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"100w.jpg","name":"100w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":3078,"variety_height":100,"variety_width":100,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":100,"height":0,"width":0,"constrain":"centre_weighted_square"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v2","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"150w","short_name":"150w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/150w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/150w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"150w.jpg","name":"150w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":5349,"variety_height":150,"variety_width":150,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":150,"height":0,"width":0,"constrain":"centre_weighted_square"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v3","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"200w","short_name":"200w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/200w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/200w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"200w.jpg","name":"200w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":6386,"variety_height":142,"variety_width":200,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":200,"width":200,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v4","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"300w","short_name":"300w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/300w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/300w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"300w.jpg","name":"300w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":6386,"variety_height":142,"variety_width":200,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":300,"width":200,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v5","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"345w","short_name":"345w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/345w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/345w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"345w.jpg","name":"345w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":15337,"variety_height":246,"variety_width":345,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":555,"width":345,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v6","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"375w","short_name":"375w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/375w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/375w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"375w.jpg","name":"375w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":17623,"variety_height":267,"variety_width":375,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":200,"width":375,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v7","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"400w","short_name":"400w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/400w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/400w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"400w.jpg","name":"400w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":19411,"variety_height":285,"variety_width":400,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":100,"width":400,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v8","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"555w","short_name":"555w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/555w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/555w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"555w.jpg","name":"555w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":33277,"variety_height":395,"variety_width":555,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":555,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v9","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"600w","short_name":"600w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/600w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/600w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"600w.jpg","name":"600w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":37860,"variety_height":427,"variety_width":600,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":600,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v10","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"690w","short_name":"690w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/690w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/690w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"690w.jpg","name":"690w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":47683,"variety_height":491,"variety_width":690,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":690,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v11","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"705w","short_name":"705w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/705w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/705w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"705w.jpg","name":"705w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":49482,"variety_height":502,"variety_width":705,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":705,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v12","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"750w","short_name":"750w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/750w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/750w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"750w.jpg","name":"750w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":56805,"variety_height":534,"variety_width":750,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":750,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v13","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"795w","short_name":"795w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/795w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/795w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"795w.jpg","name":"795w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":60242,"variety_height":566,"variety_width":795,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":795,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v14","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"960w","short_name":"960w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/960w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/960w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"960w.jpg","name":"960w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":81890,"variety_height":684,"variety_width":960,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":960,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v15","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"1024w","short_name":"1024w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1024w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1024w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"1024w.jpg","name":"1024w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":91223,"variety_height":729,"variety_width":1024,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":1024,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v16","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"1110w","short_name":"1110w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1110w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1110w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"1110w.jpg","name":"1110w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":104479,"variety_height":790,"variety_width":1110,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":1110,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v17","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"1410w","short_name":"1410w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1410w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1410w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"1410w.jpg","name":"1410w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":156986,"variety_height":1004,"variety_width":1410,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":1410,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}},{"id":"159314:v18","type":"image_variety","type_name":"Image Variety","version":"","name":"1500w","short_name":"1500w","status":{"id":16,"code":"live","name":"Live"},"created":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"updated":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"published":{"date":null,"user_id":null},"status_changed":{"date":"1969-12-31T16:00:00-08:00","user_id":null},"urls":["https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1500w.jpg"],"url":"https://news.stanford.edu/__data/assets/image/0023/159314/varieties/1500w.jpg","attributes":{"variety_type":"resize","filename":"1500w.jpg","name":"1500w","title":"Sand grain ","caption":"Michael Hasson","variety_size":193465,"variety_height":1068,"variety_width":1500,"alt":"Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. ","dimension_min":0,"dimension":0,"height":0,"width":1500,"constrain":"width"},"metadata":null,"contents":"","additional":{}}],"exif":{"image":{"ImageHeight":1068,"ImageWidth":1500,"ModifyDate":"2024:09:11 14:36:49","Orientation":0,"ResolutionUnit":0,"Software":"Adobe Photoshop 24.4 (Macintosh)","XResolution":508,"YResolution":508},"thumbnail":{"Compression":0,"ThumbnailLength":5212,"ThumbnailOffset":318},"exif":{"ColorSpace":0,"CreateDate":"2024:09:11 14:33:27-07:00","ExifImageHeight":1068,"ExifImageWidth":1500}}}}}">
Scanning electron microscopy reveals the shape and texture of a quartz sand grain from the Mississippi River. The pictured sand grain is about 200 micrometers in length. | Michael Hasson
