Remote Sensing Project 2017

Located within Tularosa Basin and tucked against the San Andreas Mountains, White Sands National Monument is home to the world’s largest gypsum dune field. Basin and range topography give rise to evaporite-rich features found within the basin as well as uplifted Permian gypsum-rich formation that are all possible sources of the gypsum making the dunes. Using hyperspectral analysis paired with published geologic, water table, and watershed maps we plan to assess the spectral signatures derived from nearby alkali flats, playa lakes, deflation basin shorelines, and exposed Permian formations. Understanding the signature given from these possible sources will allow for better characterization of what minerals are within the basin, which will lead to a source of the gypsum. A thorough understanding of evaporate forming processes must be used to correctly target areas of active mineral formation within each basin feature.