WHATS SO SPECIAL ABOUT WHITE SANDS?
White Sands is the largest surface deposit of gypsum in the world. How come? Gypsum exists even in large amounts almost everywhere around the globe. But it is soluble and usually gets washed away into a river or sea of some sort. Not so in the Tularosa Basin. The word basin tells you there’s no river outlet. Otherwise it would be a valley. I’ve seen many beaches with lots of white sands. What’s the big deal? White Sands doesn’t contain any silicon. It’s pure gypsum. It wouldn’t be looking too good on the beach as gypsum is soluble, remember. By the way, that’s why White Sands looks a wee bit grey when it rains. But not to worry, it seldom rains here in the Tularosa Basin (hysterical chuckle). MORE INFO Find here the Geological Overview of White Sands National Monument by S. G. Fryberger. Geology Fieldnotes provides you with many links to additional geological information. This remarkable brochure gives you the entire scoop on White Sands in a nutshell. I recommend it. To the best of ou
