Black sand beaches near Westport
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Black sand beaches near Westport
A narrow strip of black sand occurs along the beaches near Westport. The sand is rich in ilmenite (iron titanium oxide) which is derived from rivers draining the Alps and concentrated by wave action on the beaches. Although a considerable quantity of ilmenite occurs on the beaches and raised terraces, it has not been economic to mine it for the extraction of titanium.
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GNS Science
Reference: CN32417/24
Photograph by Lloyd Homer
Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image
