White Sands gypsum dunes
E767612
The White Sands gypsum dunes are a vast, otherworldly expanse of brilliant white sand dunes in southern New Mexico, formed from gypsum crystals and renowned for their striking beauty and unique desert ecosystem.
Observed surface forms (3)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| White Sands | 1 |
| White Sands dunefield hydrologic system | 1 |
| White Sands gypsum dune field | 1 |
Statements (63)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
desert ecosystem
ⓘ
dune field ⓘ gypsum dune field ⓘ natural landscape ⓘ |
| access | U.S. Highway 70 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| area |
about 275 square miles
ⓘ
about 710 square kilometers ⓘ |
| associatedWith | White Sands Missile Range NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| climate | arid ⓘ |
| color | white ⓘ |
| composition |
calcium sulfate dihydrate
ⓘ
gypsum crystals ⓘ |
| contains |
bleached earless lizard
ⓘ
endemic animal species ⓘ endemic plant species ⓘ gypsum-adapted grasses ⓘ migratory birds ⓘ nocturnal mammals ⓘ skunkbush sumac ⓘ soaptree yucca ⓘ white sands pupfish NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| elevation |
about 1,200 meters above sea level
ⓘ
about 4,000 feet above sea level ⓘ |
| environment | cold desert ⓘ |
| feature |
active dunes
ⓘ
barchan dunes ⓘ dome dunes ⓘ interdune areas ⓘ parabolic dunes ⓘ |
| formedBy |
evaporation of ancient Lake Otero
ⓘ
weathering of surrounding gypsum-rich mountains ⓘ wind transport of gypsum sand ⓘ |
| geologicAge | Holocene NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hazard |
getting disoriented in dunes
ⓘ
intense sunlight ⓘ sudden weather changes ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Tularosa Basin
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
southern New Mexico ⓘ |
| managedBy |
National Park Service
ⓘ
surface form:
U.S. National Park Service
|
| nationalMonumentDesignationYear | 1933 ⓘ |
| nationalParkDesignationYear | 2019 ⓘ |
| nearestCity |
Alamogordo, New Mexico
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Las Cruces, New Mexico NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor |
brilliant white sand
ⓘ
high albedo surface ⓘ largest gypsum dune field in the world ⓘ otherworldly landscape ⓘ unique desert ecosystem ⓘ |
| partOf | White Sands National Park NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| previousProtectedAreaStatus | within White Sands National Monument ⓘ |
| protectedAreaStatus | within White Sands National Park ⓘ |
| reasonForCoolSand | high reflectivity of gypsum ⓘ |
| region | Chihuahuan Desert NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| state | New Mexico ⓘ |
| temperatureCharacteristic | sand remains relatively cool to the touch ⓘ |
| touristActivity |
hiking
ⓘ
photography ⓘ sand sledding ⓘ scenic driving ⓘ stargazing ⓘ |
| viewingTime |
popular at sunrise
ⓘ
popular at sunset ⓘ |
Referenced by (4)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
White Sands
this entity surface form:
White Sands gypsum dune field
this entity surface form:
White Sands dunefield hydrologic system