Where did the gypsum come from?

An ancient lake called Lake Otero

White Sands Quiz: New Mexico's Gleaming Gypsum Dune Field

This White Sands quiz slides down the dazzling dunes of New Mexico's Tularosa Basin. Play 10 interactive questions on the gypsum sand, ancient Lake Otero, why the sand stays cool, 2019 national park status, dune sledding, the surrounding missile range, the 1945 Trinity test nearby, white-colored lizards and fossil human footprints.

Start White Sands Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

State
Which state is White Sands in?
Mineral
What are the dunes made of?
Record
What record does White Sands hold?
Source
Where did the gypsum come from?
Cool
Why does the sand feel cool even in summer?
Park
When did White Sands become a national park?
Fun
What do visitors love to do on the dunes?
Range
What surrounds the park?
Trinity
Which historic event happened in the region in 1945?
Footprints
What ancient tracks were found in the park?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which state is White Sands in?
Answer: New Mexico
It lies in the Tularosa Basin.
Q2: What are the dunes made of?
Answer: Gypsum
Gypsum rarely forms dunes.
Q3: What record does White Sands hold?
Answer: Largest gypsum dune field in the world
It covers about 275 square miles.
Q4: Where did the gypsum come from?
Answer: An ancient lake called Lake Otero
Wind carried crystals from its bed.
Q5: Why does the sand feel cool even in summer?
Answer: Gypsum reflects sunlight and holds moisture
Visitors can walk barefoot.
Q6: When did White Sands become a national park?
Answer: 2019
It was a national monument from 1933.
Q7: What do visitors love to do on the dunes?
Answer: Sled down them
Plastic saucers are sold nearby.
Q8: What surrounds the park?
Answer: White Sands Missile Range
The road can close during tests.
Q9: Which historic event happened in the region in 1945?
Answer: The first atomic bomb test
It was called Trinity.
Q10: What ancient tracks were found in the park?
Answer: Human footprints
Studies suggest some are over 20,000 years old.

Gypsum Dunes, Missiles and Ancient Footprints

White Sands in New Mexico's Tularosa Basin is the largest gypsum dune field in the world, covering about 275 square miles. Gypsum usually dissolves in rain, but here it is trapped in a basin with no outlet to the sea. Wind carried crystals from the bed of an ancient lake, Lake Otero, to build the dunes.

Because gypsum reflects sunlight and holds moisture, the sand stays cool enough to walk on barefoot. Visitors love sledding down the dunes on plastic saucers. The area was a national monument from 1933 and became a national park in 2019.

The park is surrounded by White Sands Missile Range, and roads sometimes close during tests; the first atomic bomb test, Trinity, took place in the region in 1945. Some animals, like the bleached earless lizard, have evolved pale colors. Fossil human footprints found here are thought to be over 20,000 years old.

What This Quiz Teaches

Geography fans will enjoy these questions.

What the dunes are made of
Where the sand came from
Why it stays cool
What happens nearby
What ancient clues were found

Did You Know?

Full moon hikes are held on the dunes.
The dunes slowly move with the wind.
Yucca plants can grow tall to escape burial.
Sunset turns the white sand pink and gold.
Pets on leashes are allowed on dunes.