White Sands

Gypsum crystallizes in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, by evaporation of the calcium- and sulphate-rich water of Lake Lucero. The crystals are then picked up by the wind, and accumulate in a vast field of gypsum dunes. Depending on the light conditions and the time of the day, the dunes may be snow-white, or may take on the color of the sky.