and have engulfed 275 square miles of desert here and c

. The dunes, brilliant and whi

te, are ever changing. They grow, crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by s, is internationally recognized and has over 60 years experience in explosives research and testing. trong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and anima

ls adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument pr, New Mexico. The field laboratory contains more than 30 test sites, gun ranges, other research facilities and storage areas, allowing for a complete spectrum of research and testing activities. eserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals

that have adapted

• successfully to this constantly changing enviro
  
  
• nment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Dese
  
  
• t lies a mountain-ringed valley, rthe Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's grea
  
  
• t natural wonders-the glist

  ening white sands of New Mexico. Great