Story:
This is Papakolea Beach, the one and only green sand beach in the World.
Analysis:
The message comes with a picture claiming to show Papakolea Beach as the one and only green sand beach in the world. Not really!
It is a fact that the picture in question is genuine and it is indeed Papakolea Beach in Hawaii, also called as the Mahana Beach, and has this green sand beach, but there are few other beaches like this elsewhere in the world. Three other known green sand beaches include Talofofo Beach in Guam, Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island in the Galapagos Islands, and Hornindalsvatnet in Norway.
The distinctive green color of the sand in Papakolea beach is due to the presence of a mineral called Olivine, which is found in the enclosing cinder cone. Olivine is a silicate mineral containing iron and magnesium, and is a common mineral component of Hawaiian lavas, because it is one of the first crystals to form as magma cools. These olivine crystals (which you can see in the image section below) are in fact winnowed from the eroding headland by the action of the sea. Olivine, being denser and tougher than other ash and sand fragments, tends to accumulate on the beach – which gives it the green colour appearance. However, when the supply of this mineral from enclosing cinder cone runs out, the beach will look like any other normal one.
You can watch a glimpse of this green sand of Papakolea beach from the video shown.
Hoax or Fact:
Partially fact.
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