weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upward flowing water (as from an artesian spring). In the case of upward-flowing water, forces oppose the force of gravity and suspend the soil particle.

The cushioning of water gives quicksand, and other liquefied sediments, a spongy, fluid-like texture. In accordance with Archimedes' principle, objects in liquefied sand sink to the level at which the weight