This is the sand that forms the dunes at White Sands National Monument. It forms as gypsum crystals on the surface of Lake Lucero as it evaporates in the summer. Blown by the wind, the crystals break down and are transported into the White Sands dune field to the east. One dune, shown in the field photo, has escaped the National Monument and is encroaching on US Highway 70. That's where this sand was collected.
The gypsum was deposited on the sea floor during the Permian. These beds were uplifted and are exposed in the San Andres Mountains to the west. During the last Ice Age, a gypsum-saturated lake, Lake Otero, filled 1,600 square miles of the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico. With warming climate at the end of the Ice Age, Lake Otero evaporated. Lake Lucero occupies a part of the former Lake Otero basin.
Set of two 2-ounce jars, practical in a classroom and are somewhat student resistant, though a cap can be unscrewed.
Shipping: By Priority Mail or USPS Ground Advantage, whichever is cheaper, unless we find a better rate. Click > here < for shipping rates. See comment at Note! Use back button to return to this page.
Making multiple purchases? Click on the "combine shipping" button in the shopping cart. We'll send an invoice with combined shipping. A link in that invoice will bring you back to checkout, no hassle.
