White Sands National Monument, USA

In the United States, in the state of New Mexico, there is a wonderful desert with the romantic name, White Sands. This desert consists of gypsum that explains the incredibly beautiful white dunes. White Sands is the largest gypsum desert in the world, covering an area of ​​712 square km. Unlike many other places alike, the sand here is not hot, as it almost completely reflects the sun's light and heat. This desert owes its existence to the sea that once has been there about one hundred million years ago.

Over millions of years, the hot rays of the sun have completely dried the sea, leaving a vast desert area covered with selenite crystals. For about forty million years, the snow-white desert was being on the brink of extinction. Tiny white crystals could be carried out by the wind in the world's oceans. However, tectonic activity formed San Andres and Sacramento mountains on a fridges of the desert. That saved gypsum from weathering.

The White Sands Desert is constantly in motion. The wind creates incredibly beautiful selenite dunes here, which can reach a height of 18 meters, as well as sand hills as high as a two-storey house. Given the peculiarity of the desert, it is not surprising that it’s almost impossible to find plants in the central area. Only a few kinds of yucca and poplar can adapt to such environment, as the length of their roots can reach 30 meters. It’s much more interesting to walk along the edge of the desert where you can see rare species of cacti and even a nara melon. Next - Simpson Desert