The Blinding White Remains of a Dying Sea | Weird Places: White Sands

White Sands National Park is a unique geological and ecological site with over 400 square kilometers of pure gypsum sand. Its formation is a result of complex geological processes over 250 million years, including tectonic shifts and evaporation. The park hosts unique plant and animal species adapted to its harsh conditions, with many exhibiting convergent evolution to blend into the white landscape. This makes White Sands a valuable site for studying both Earth's and Mars' geological features.

What ancient supercontinent was the area of White Sands once a part of?

• Gondwana

• Laurasia

• Pangaea

• Atlantis

What is the primary mineral composition of the sand at White Sands National Park?

• Quartz

• Gypsum

• Silica

• Calcite

Why is gypsum sand rare to find in nature?

• It requires high temperatures to form.

• It is only found in volcanic regions.

• It dissolves in water easily.

• It is too heavy to be transported by wind.

How do some plants at White Sands manage excess calcium?

• They convert it into energy.

• They use it to strengthen their stems.

• They excrete it through salt glands.

• They store it in their roots.

What evolutionary process has led to the development of white-colored species in White Sands?

• Divergent evolution

• Adaptive radiation

• Parallel evolution

• Convergent evolution