White+Sands

White Sands National Monument By: Ryan Buzzell and Peter Hogan

**1. Introduction Section** White Sands National Monument is in New Mexico, rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin. 2 Wave-like dunes made up of gypsum sand cover 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dune field. 2 Much of the land at the park is reserved for military purposes. 2 Very often, the park needs to be closed as there is a missile testing station on sight. Along with a missile testing site, this was also host to the Trinity Site.8 A site where the first nuclear bomb was tested in 1945.8 Visitors are allowed to visit ground zero, but be forewarned that there is a small amount of radiation, still existent in the park from the original explosion. The amount remaining is not enough to harm you, but it may bother some visitors and change their minds on visiting the historic site.

The main rock in White Sands Park is gypsum, the rock which the sand is composed almost purely of.1 In the mountains there is a layer of gypsum rock. 1 As the rock gets wet, it dissolves into solution and travels downslope. 1 This dissolving of rock erodes away the bedrock of the mountains, changing the profile of the mountains. The solution travels as a dissolved solid and collects at the lowest point of the basin. 1 The groundwater follows the slope of the terrain until it reaches the Tularosa Basin and enters an ephemeral lake. 1,2 Because of the clear skies and windy, warm weather, the dissolved gypsum precipitates out of the solution. 1 The water evaporates away and leaves the rock gathered in the basin. 1 As the rock comes out of solution, it forms selenite crystals later turned into the sand. 1 The crystals begin to flake as they are eroded by the wind. 1 The crystals then tumble in the wind and abrasion occurs, rounding out the crystals to form the white sand known to the National Park. 1 Eventually overtime, the sand collects forming the dunes of White Sands National Monument. 1 In the most active parts of the park, the dunes move to the northeast at about 30 miles per year. 2 The dune migration occurs when the wind carries the loose sediment with the wind. As the wind hits an obstacle, the blowing sand drops to the ground and collects. The deposited sand then acts as a barrier to the sand behind it forcing the sand to continue to pile up. With this constant cycle, the dunes of White Sands are constantly changing due to wind erosion. Additionally to wind erosion, there is some mass wasting occurring as seen in the photo at the top. Because the sand is loosely packed, the sand slides downslope, altering the profile of the terrain. Although this is not a main contributing factor to the changing landscape, it, too, determines the shape of the landscape and the conditions of the park.
 * [[image:Picture_1.png height="348"]] ||
 * Tectonic Map of Tularosa Basin and Surrounding Area 4 ||
 * 2. Geologic Setting Section**

Some things to do while you are there include: (but don't worry, there is very little natural water around to swim in to cool off) 5
 * Sledding the dunes with sleds at the pro shop 5
 * Auto tours with scenic drives 5
 * Hiking of various trails and sand 5
 * Soak in the sun with 100+ weather around summertime 5

Slideshow of Park- |http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5rBKrRNH4s]] Weather in the park greatly effects the terrain and alters the topography. During the months of February through May, the wind is a dominant factor. 2 It blows across the desert, creating wind storms for days in the spring, as a prevailing southerly wind. 2 It causes the dunes to move greatly, altering the conditons for plants and animals, which struggle to survive.2 These hot conditions are a result of the location of White Sands. It happens to be located at about (32.762, -106.299). 4 This location of 32.762˚ north of the equator receives close to direct sunlight. Additionally, it is located near the horse latitudes, known for having high pressure. This high pressure allows for clear skies due to the global winds. The parks location on earth is a huge factor in determining what features there are at the park, altered by it's climate.
 * 3. Climate and Weather Section**

2
 * ~ Month ||||~ Average High Temperature ||||~ Average Low Temperature ||||~ Average Precipitation ||
 * =  ||= ** ° F ** ||= ** (°C) ** ||= ** °F ** ||= ** (°C) ** ||= ** In. ** ||= ** (cm) ** ||
 * = ** January ** ||= ** 56 ** ||= ** (13) ** ||= ** 22 ** ||= ** (-6) ** ||= ** 0.50 ** ||= ** (1.3) ** ||
 * = ** February ** ||= ** 62 ** ||= ** (17) ** ||= ** 25 ** ||= ** (-4) ** ||= ** 0.30 ** ||= ** (0.8) ** ||
 * = ** March ** ||= ** 69 ** ||= ** (21) ** ||= ** 30 ** ||= ** (-1) ** ||= ** 0.25 ** ||= ** (0.6) ** ||
 * = ** April ** ||= ** 79 ** ||= ** (26) ** ||= ** 40 ** ||= ** (4) ** ||= ** 0.25 ** ||= ** (0.6) ** ||
 * = ** May ** ||= ** 88 ** ||= ** (31) ** ||= ** 49 ** ||= ** (10) ** ||= ** 0.25 ** ||= ** (0.6) ** ||
 * = ** June ** ||= ** 96 ** ||= ** (36) ** ||= ** 58 ** ||= ** (15) ** ||= ** 0.60 ** ||= ** (1.5) ** ||
 * = ** July ** ||= ** 97 ** ||= ** (36) ** ||= ** 64 ** ||= ** (18) ** ||= ** 1.40 ** ||= ** (3.6) ** ||
 * = ** August ** ||= ** 95 ** ||= ** (35) ** ||= ** 62 ** ||= ** (17) ** ||= ** 1.20 ** ||= ** (3.0) ** ||
 * = ** September ** ||= ** 90 ** ||= ** (32) ** ||= ** 55 ** ||= ** (13) ** ||= ** 1.25 ** ||= ** (3.2) ** ||
 * = ** October ** ||= ** 80 ** ||= ** (27) ** ||= ** 42 ** ||= ** (6) ** ||= ** 0.75 ** ||= ** (1.9) ** ||
 * = ** November ** ||= ** 66 ** ||= ** (19) ** ||= ** 27 ** ||= ** (-3) ** ||= ** 0.25 ** ||= ** (0.6) ** ||
 * = ** December ** ||= ** 56 ** ||= ** (13) ** ||= ** 22 ** ||= ** (-6) ** ||= ** 0.50 ** ||= ** (1.3) ** ||

The White Sands National Monument is a 275 square mile park, with rolling dunes made of mainly gypsum, which gives it its name. 2 This particular park is a desert, and a vast one at that. 2 The animal and plat life in the park vary greatly. 2 From an African Oryx to an Aeshnidae Darner dragonfly, the animals that live here have vast differences, but all survive in the same hot sandy desert. 2 The Oryx, a large animal with long horns and brown and white fur, is not native to the desert or even to the continent. 2 The Oryx was brought here in 1969 and were released on the White Sands Missle Range, but now they inhabit the park and are posing a problem to others. 2 The Oryx and other animals not native to the area pose a threat to the indigenous plants and animals in the area. 2 Some of theses plants have beautiful flowers and exotic colors, where as others are not as stand out. 2 6 6 2 Human impact here and in other National Parks is minimized by the Leave No Trace program, which has a set of rules and guidelines on how to minimize the impact that campers and hikers have on the natural terrain. 2 This program emphasizes the importance of properly disposing of waste, leaving everything you find there where it was found as to not alter the habitat for animals and plants there, traveling and camping on suitable and durable surfaces, planning ahead and properly preparing for your trip, do not start campfires because they leave a permanent mark on the area, and last but not least, being considerate of other visitors and living as well as non-living things in the park. 2 Since the park is respected by the majority of its visitors, human impact is minimal here. 2 But, it is impossible to completely erase the traces that we have, and will continue to, left behind in the park. 2
 * 4. Biome Section**
 * 5. Human Impact Section**

1.) Denton, Park Ranger Kathy. "White Sands Uncovered." Speech. 2.) __White Sands National Monument__. Nps.gov. 31 May 2010 <[]>. 3.) "Picture of White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo - Sands of White Sands National Monument."//PlanetWare Travel Guide - Hotels, Attractions, Pictures, Maps & More//. PlanetWare. Web. 09 June 2010. . 4.) "Latitude Longitude Locator." //Mashup Soft - Combine and Analyze Data//. Web. 09 June 2010. . 5.) "White Sands National Monument: Things To Do (DesertUSA)." //Desert Biomes by DesertUSA//. Web. 09 June 2010. . 6.) //An Island of White in the New Mexico Desert//. Chuck. Web. 9 June 2010. . 7.) //Teens Sledding Down White Sands Dunes//. 15 May 2009. Web. 10 June 2010. . 8.)"Trinity Site." //The Bureau of Atomic Tourism//. Web. 10 June 2010. .
 * Sources-**