White Sands National Park, New Mexico

© Andrea Harrell/Tandem Stills + Motio

The largest gypsum dune field. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

If today's photo evokes some chilly feelings inside of you, surprise! That's not snow, but a part of the largest gypsum dune field on this planet. You’re looking at the magnificent 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 region 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 colour allowing them to blend into their surroundings.