<P> The desert is located in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico . Its white sands are not composed of quartz , like most desert sands , but of gypsum and calcium sulfate . Unlike other desert sands , it is cool to the touch , due to the high rate of evaporation of surface moisture and the fact that the sands reflect , rather than absorb , the sun 's rays . At 1185 meters above sea level , there are approximately 442 square kilometers of dune fields and is known to be the world 's largest surface deposit of gypsum . </P>
<P> The desert is located in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico . Its white sands are not composed of quartz , like most desert sands , but of gypsum and calcium sulfate . Unlike other desert sands , it is cool to the touch , due to the high rate of evaporation of surface moisture and the fact that the sands reflect , rather than absorb , the sun 's rays . At 1185 meters above sea level , there are approximately 442 square kilometers of dune fields and is known to be the world 's largest surface deposit of gypsum . </P>
what makes the sand white in new mexico
what makes the sand white in new mexico
gypsum and calcium sulfate
gypsum and calcium sulfate