New Mexico Legal Publications

New Mexico Legal Publications

New Mexico Legal Publications

Posted on: January 07, 2012 - 4:20 pm
by Admin

Walking through White Sands National Monument (WSNM) is like walking on another planet in places. Huge pure white dunes provide bare feet with tickling and cool relief from shoes. Spectacular southwest sunsets take on new beauty as they glow over the brilliant gypsum sand.

Origins

The white sands have blown from a seasonal lake, called Lake Lucero, on the western side of the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico. The seasonal evaporation of water from the lake has caused selenite crystals to develop of gypsum. The wind then abrades the crystals, blowing the crystal particles across the desert. Over the years, 275 square miles of white dunes have resulted.

Plants and animals

The uniqueness of WSNM is not only apparent in the sands and geology itself but in the adaptations of the things that live there. Several species of animals have adapted themselves to life in a white world. There are white lizards and moths which can only be found in the area of the sands.