Michael Welland

Michael Welland (1946 – October 2017) was a British petroleum geologist and expert on sand (an arenophile). His book ''Sand: a journey through science and the imagination'', won the 2010 John Burroughs Medal. Welland was a featured commentator in the documentary film "Sand Wars" (2013).

Welland was born in 1946, son of Dennis Welland, Professor of American Literature and later Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Selwyn College, Cambridge.

When he appeared in 2010 on the BBC Radio 4 programme ''The Museum of Curiosity'', his proposed donation to the imaginary museum was singing sand dunes. Provided by Wikipedia