The TikTok user Fran Cuéllar (@francuellar26_) has sparked an intense debate on social media after sharing a video in which he claims to have “discovered” something on a beach in Tenerife.
“We have come to a beach in Tenerife and something quite cool that you probably haven’t thought about is that this is not sand. I will show you on my phone,” he begins to explain in the recording.
He then throws a handful of sand onto the back of his phone, and some grains stick around the Apple logo. “iPhones have MagSafe, which is a magnet. So this sand, is not sand, it’s metal,” he asserts. “I realised this because I placed my phone down, and when I picked it up, it was stuck.”
@francuellar26_ The most abundant rock in the eruptions of the Canaries, responsible for the black colour of the islands (not all) is basalt, a magmatic rock with a high percentage of iron. In fact, there are areas where the rock is very red because that iron is oxidised. A similar phenomenon occurs in Hawaii where there are red beaches 💖 (this was told to me by a very intelligent person, who is not me 🤓) #viral #tenerife #canarias #playas #curiosidades ♬ original sound – Fran Cuéllar
The video has already reached nearly 600,000 views and has received over 400 comments, many of which are critical or ironic: “When he discovers it’s volcanic sand, he’ll be amazed,” “And where does the metal come from, the fridge?” “Do you know we’re volcanic islands?”
In the text accompanying the video, Fran Cuéllar notes: “The most abundant rock in the eruptions of the Canaries, responsible for the black colour of the islands (not all) is basalt, a magmatic rock with a high percentage of iron.”
Why Does the Sand at Tenerife Beach Stick to a Magnet?
Most of the black sand beaches in the Canaries originate from volcanic activity. They are made up of fragments of basaltic rocks, formed by the solidification of lava.
Basalt is rich in minerals with high iron content and other compounds that, in certain cases, exhibit magnetic properties. Among them is magnetite, a mineral that can be attracted by magnets.
This is why, when bringing devices with built-in magnets, like phones with the MagSafe system, some grains of sand may become stuck.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to the Canaries. Places like Hawaii and Iceland also feature beaches with volcanic sands sharing similar characteristics due to their mineral composition.
