If today"s photo evokes some chilly feelings inside of you, surprise! That"s not snow, but part of the largest gypsum dune field on the planet. We"re at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, which was first established as a monument on this date in 1933 and then became a national park in 2019. Roughly 4.5 billion tons of gypsum sand has massed in the Tularosa Basin over the past 12,000 years, having worn off the surrounding mountains. Thousands of species live in the park, many of which have evolved to have white coloration, allowing them to blend into the environment.
White Sands National Park turns 90
Today in History
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Feel the spray in Monterey
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A house of grand scale(s)
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The ruins of a Maya superpower
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Frozen fun in the Canadian cold
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Dog days of summer
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Après-ski in the Dolomites
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World Childrens Day
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Wat Sri Sawai in Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand
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A tower of light
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Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
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Manatee Awareness Month
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Death Valley National Park, California
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Winter in the Finnish wilds
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Great hornbill, Thailand
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The moai you know
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What kind of bird laid these eggs?
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Cinco de Mayo
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Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
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An unlikely friendship in the wild
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Happy Presidents Day
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Happy Mother’s Day
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A glimpse of the Blue Forest
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A day to celebrate teachers
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World Space Week begins
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol
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International Jazz Day
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First Cliff Walk
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Chestnut-eared aracari in the Pantanal, Brazil