Everything about the White Sands National Monument totally explained
The
White Sands National Monument is a
U.S. National Monument located about 25 km (15 miles) southwest of
Alamogordo in western
Otero County and northeastern
Dona Ana County in the
state of
New Mexico, at an elevation of 4235 feet (1291 m). The area is in the mountain-ringed
Tularosa Basin valley area and comprises the southern part of a 710-km² (275-mi²) field of white
sand dunes composed of
gypsum crystals.
History
The first exploration of the White Sands area by white men was by a party of
US Army officers in 1849.
The
Mescalero Apache were already living in the area at the time. Hispanic families started farming communities in the area at
Tularosa in 1861 and at
La Luz in 1863.
The Monument is completely surrounded by military installations (
White Sands Missile Range and
Holloman Air Force Base) and has always had an uneasy relationship with the military.
The state's two U.S. Senators,
Pete Domenici and
Jeff Bingaman, wrote letters of support of the application.
U.S. Representative
Stevan Pearce decined to support the application, saying, "I would guarantee that if White Sands Monument receives this designation, that there will at some point be international pressures exerted that could stop military operations as we know them today."
The WHS application generated much controversy in
Otero County, most of it taking place in meetings of the Otero County Commission. A petition with 1,200 signatures opposing the application was presented to the Commission on August 16, 2007.
The Commission on August 23, 2007 passed a resolution of opposition to the application,
and on October 18, 2007 passed Ordinance 07-05 that purports to make it illegal for WSNM to become a World Heritage Site.
On January 24, 2008, after the Tentative List was announced, the Commission instructed the County Attorney to write a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, demanding that WSNM be taken off the list.
Description
San Andres and
Sacramento Mountains is trapped within the basin, and the rain either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form, called
selenite, on the surface.
During the last
ice age, a lake known as
Lake Otero covered much of the basin. When it dried out, it left a large flat area of selenite crystals which is now the
Alkali Flat. Another lake,
Lake Lucero, at the southwest corner of the park, is a dry lake bed, at one of the lowest points of the basin, which occasionally fills with water.
The ground in the Alkali Flat and along Lake Lucero's shore is covered with selenite crystals which reach lengths of up to three feet (1 m).
Weathering and
erosion eventually breaks the crystals into sand-size grains that are carried away by the prevailing winds from the southwest, forming white dunes. The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind, covering the plants in their path. Some species of plants, however, can grow rapidly enough to avoid being buried by the dunes.
From the visitor center at the entrance of the park, the Dunes Drive leads 8 miles (12 km) into the dunes. Four marked trails allow to explore the dunes by foot. During the summer, there are also Ranger-guided orientation and nature walks. The park participates in the
Junior Ranger Program, with various age-group-specific activities
(External Link
).
Unlike dunes made of quartz-based sand crystals, the gypsum doesn't readily convert the sun's energy into heat and thus can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. In areas accessible by car, children frequently use the dunes for downhill sledding.
Because the park lies completely within the
White Sands Missile Range, both the park and
U.S. Route 70 between
Las Cruces, New Mexico and
Alamogordo are subject to closure for safety reasons when tests are conducted on the missile range. On average, tests occur about twice a week, for a duration of one to two hours. Located on the northernmost boundaries of
White Sands Missile Range, the
Trinity Site can be found, where the first
atom bomb was detonated.
Media
Image:White sands vegetation.jpg|Sparse vegetation at White Sands NM
Image:Gypsum plant stand.jpg|Gypsum plant stand
Image:White sands national monument dune.jpg|View from atop a dune
Image:White sands soldiers2.jpg|White Sands National Monument lies adjacent to the White Sands Missile Range.
Image:WhiteSandsBleachedEarlessLizard.jpg|Bleached earless lizard at White Sands NM
Transportation
Major highways
Nearby cities
Alamogordo, New Mexico
El Paso, Texas
Las Cruces, New MexicoFurther Information
Get more info on 'White Sands National Monument'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://white_sands_national_monument.totallyexplained.com">White Sands National Monument Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
