I would commend the student for his hypothesis and ask him to propose some
method for testing his hypothesis, such as examining the iron content of sand
from Alaska.  You might also ask him to make a prediction concerning the iron
content of sands as one goes toward the south pole.

I would not tell him he is "wrong" but would encourage him to be a scientist.
All of us "scientists" have proposed "wrong" hypothesis.

Ken De Nault.

P.S.  The "iron" content is most probably the mineral magnetite.  This is a
dense, iron oxide mineral whose concentration is a function of many factors,
among which is availability in the source rock, the energy of the transport
mechanism, and the energy of the depositional environment.  As a dense mineral,
it tends to be concentrated by the removal of the less dense, and generally much
more abundant, silicate minerals.




_____________________________________________________________________

Public Seismic Network Mailing List (PSN-L)