Gypsum grains make it look like snow-land, thus creating one of a kind views. The sand constantly drifts into dunes 10 to 60 feet high. Dunes are cold at any time of the day/year as gypsum doesn’t absorb heat but reflects sun rays making them look white. Unlike silica sand, gypsum doesn't absorb heat from the Sun. So even on the hottest day of the year, the dunes are cool and comfortable to walk on. Though gypsum can be easily dissolved in water, gypsum still stays in the monument because the Tularosa Basic and the dunes are fully enclosed and therefore, there is no outlet to the water of any kind. The gypsum dunes are home to a unique ecosystem of plants and wildlife, many of which only exist here in the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert.
?
