re and created the la
rgest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They grow, crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everyth
ing in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly e
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nough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in the gypsum san
d. White Sands National Mon
ument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have adapted successfully to this constantly changing environment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed va
lley, the Tularosa B
asin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders-the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-lik
e dunes of gypsum sand have engul
fed 275 square miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They
grow, crest, then slump but
always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything i) No. 4375 - "Safety Drop, Munition Test Procedure".
n its path. Within the ex
EMRTCtremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert condition
s struggle to survive. On
ly a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colora
tions to camouflage them in
the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the pla
nts and animals
that have adapted successfully to this constantly changing environment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Dese
rt lies a mountain-ringe
d valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders-the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes o
f gypsum sand have engulfed
275 square miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They grow, crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest win
ds, covers everything
in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions strugg
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le to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colora
tions to camouflage th
em in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have ada
pted successfully
to this constantly changing environment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the wor
