[Otho]

Sand blows were a prominent feature of the great New Madrid, MO earthquakes in 1811-1812. The link has pictures of sand blows from a recent earthquake at Gujarat, India.

http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/gujarat/tuttle.shtml

[Just another Joe]

Sand blows were a prominent feature of the great New Madrid, MO earthquakes in 1811-1812.

That was my thought also.