WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO
Can you imagine a world where the sky is blue but the landscape is all white with towering dunes of sand?
The tallest tree grows to about 5 feet (1.5 m) and has long sharp bayonets instead of branches.
And what wildlife that you might see is also white, very small and scurries across the sand to hide from the blazing sun. It might appear that you have space-traveled to a different planet, but you are at the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Located near the city of Alamogordo, the 275-mi² (710-km²) area of white sand dunes is completely surrounded by the military installations of Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range.
Lying within the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin, the world’s largest gypsum dune field has a very unique and interesting origin. On the west side of White Sands is an extremely flat area knows as the Alkali Flats.
To the south of the Alkali Flats is a depression called Lake Lucero. Both the Alkali Flats and Lake Lucero are remnants of Lake Otero.
Over time many tons of dissolved gypsum was washed from the mountains into the Lake Otero basin from rain and snowmelt. About 12,000 years ago when the climate warmed, Lake Otero began to dry up, leaving behind a surface of gypsum in the crystal form.
Since the end of the Ice Age, wind erosion has been blowing across the area from the southwest, breaking the crystals down into gypsum sand where they have accumulated downwind of the Alkali Flats, forming the dunes at White Sands.
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
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Amazing shots. Really liked them.
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