View allAll Photos Tagged Selenite
This is actually an extreme close up of a portion of a piece of Desert Rose Selenite. It is formed from a combination of water, wind and sand. Sand becomes embedded in selenite blades and over time the water forms rosette shapes. It almost looks like something under a microscope to me.
My hike in to these colorful clay hoodoos and spires yesterday. Native Americans used this selenite clay to make arrowheads and the beautiful colors of the sandstone were used as pottery paint. Calhan Painted Mines, a hidden beauty. Going back as soon as I can!
"Selenite is an ancient crystal and one of the most powerful for new energy. Its name has its origins in Greek mythology, where the Goddess Selene is associated with the white Moon, a symbol of perfection, purity and benevolence. Many call it: Mirror of the Virgin".
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* The final image I have of the amazing landscape at White Sands in New Mexico . When I visited in 2016 it was a national monument I gather its been elevated now to the status of a National Park . It certainly is a most unusual place I have not seen anything like it anywhere else.
The White Sands National Park is located about 16 miles southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Doña Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4,235 feet . The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin and comprises the southern part of a 275 square miles field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.
Gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. The Tularosa Basin is enclosed; meaning that it has no outlet to the sea and that rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains is trapped within the basin. Thus water either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools, which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form, called selenite, on the surface.
Various forms of dunes are found within the limits of White Sands. Dome dunes are found along the southwest margins of the field, transverse and barchan in the core of the field, and parabolic dunes occur in high numbers along the northern, southern, and northeastern margins.
THANKS FOR YOUR VISITING BUT CAN I ASK YOU NOT TO FAVE AN IMAGE WITHOUT ALSO MAKING A COMMENT. MANY THANKS KEITH. ANYONE MAKING MULTIPLE FAVES WITHOUT COMMENTS WILL SIMPLY BE BLOCKED
* My previous shot was an abstract that I know was not to everyones taste . This is a landscape from New Mexico that in many ways is also an abstract. It has no intrinsic “ meaning” or ‘ narrative “ its just a study of colour lines form and textures
The White Sands National Monument is located about 16 miles southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Doña Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4,235 feet . The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin and comprises the southern part of a 275 square miles field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.
Gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. The Tularosa Basin is enclosed; meaning that it has no outlet to the sea and that rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains is trapped within the basin. Thus water either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools, which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form, called selenite, on the surface.
Various forms of dunes are found within the limits of White Sands. Dome dunes are found along the southwest margins of the field, transverse and barchan in the core of the field, and parabolic dunes occur in high numbers along the northern, southern, and northeastern margins.
THANKS FOR YOUR VISITING BUT CAN I ASK YOU NOT TO FAVE AN IMAGE WITHOUT ALSO MAKING A COMMENT. MANY THANKS KEITH. ANYONE MAKING MULTIPLE FAVES WITHOUT COMMENTS WILL SIMPLY BE BLOCKED
had a lot of fun making this. I you like and take a visit to Equal 10 for some fun shopping;
Taxi: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/equal10/153/129/89
Starts in 40 Mins :D
Glass Mountain is a mound of selenite near the Temples of the Sun and the Moon. The temples are eroded sandstone monoliths several hundred feet tall. The cliffs behind them are even taller. The geological features of this place are enormous and it is hard to capture their enormity in a photograph. It's a great place to visit during a pandemic as there are not many visitors to this place.
See Gaia's version here. :D
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Salt Plains
National Wildlife Refuge
Cherokee Oklahoma
Designated as the "largest such saline flat in the central lowlands of North America," the 11,200- acre salt flat of Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is essential to wildlife.
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HISA - Glowing Greens. In main store.
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Cerridwen’s Cauldron - Selenite Crystals. At WLRP.
The Cove : Fan and Lace Corals.
Backdrop texture by SATO - Pastel Underwater.
Light fading across the Winnemucca Dry Lake Basin, NV.
A jumble of arc-shaped tufa remnants from the former lake fill the foreground.
The Selenite Range rises beyond the north end of the lakebed.
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[CC] Cerridwen's Cauldron - Selenite Crystals
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A HUGE thanks to Duchess Flux for letting me use her fabulous magic build for this photo! ♥♥♥
I'm always on the lookout for Rocks & Minerals. Found some at this museum.
June 18, 2021
Burpee Museum Of Natural History, Rockford, Illinois
When the incantation held within the book is read at the sacred pool located between worlds, a portal oopens revealing faint structures hidden in the mists. What mysterious new worlds are there to be found?
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A desert rose, sand rose, Sahara rose, rose rock, selenite rose, gypsum rose, or baryte rose is an intricate rose-like formation of crystal clusters of gypsum or baryte, which include abundant sand grains
(Wikipedia)
[Dedicated to CRA (ILYWAMHASAM)]
Taken August 21, 2025 and uploaded for the groups
CrAzY Tuesday #PatternsInNature
and
Gigaset GS290
ƒ/2.0
3.5 mm
1/14 Sec
ISO 1360
We traveled over 40 miles round trip on a bumpy dirt road to visit these geologic phenomena. We saw only two other cars. The feature on the right is a 15 foot mound of large selenite crystals. The monoliths in the distance are named the Temples of the Sun and Moon that rise a couple hundred feet from the valley floor. The monoliths are composed of fine grained sandstone whose shades of red and orange is the result hematite (iron oxide).
A close-up shot of Desert Rose crystal formation.
Processed in Snapseed and Lightroom for iPad.
Happy Sliders Sunday Everyone😁
“Desert Rose inspires unyielding focus and commitment, teaches the true meaning of perseverance and guides one to step beyond any obstacle life puts before you. It encourages flexibility in thinking, boosts confidence and elevates sense of self and worth. Desert Rose is a true ally that brings harmony, balance, wisdom and passion for living, guiding one to a life that is centered, calm and motivated by love.” - prismsscape.com/desert-rose-selenite/
When it comes to White Stuff I prefer the New Mexico version to Norway’s. For one thing you need to wear a lot less clothing. Seriously it’s nearly the end of the year and I thought a few highlights of 2016 might be in order. The white sands national monument has got to be one of the strangest places I have ever visited you can the impression in the middle of these huge dunes that somehow you have been transported to another planet. I took a lot of photographs that will emerge in time but here is one for now.
A bit of info about White Sands
The White Sands National Monument is located about 16 miles southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Doña Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4,235 feet . The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin and comprises the southern part of a 275 square miles field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.
Gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. The Tularosa Basin is enclosed; meaning that it has no outlet to the sea and that rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains is trapped within the basin. Thus water either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools, which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form, called selenite, on the surface.
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Gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. The Tularosa Basin is enclosed, meaning that it has no outlet to the sea and that rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains is trapped within the basin. Thus water either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form, called selenite, on the surface. Groundwater that does flow out of the Tularosa Basin flows south into the Hueco Basin. During the last ice age, a lake known as Lake Otero covered much of the basin. When it dried out, it left a large flat area of selenite crystals which is now the Alkali Flat. Another lake, Lake Lucero, at the southwest corner of the park, is a dry lake bed, at one of the lowest points of the basin, which occasionally fills with water.
NRHP Reference#:88000751
Natural selenite crystals form miniature sharp peaks and valleys. The specimen is backlit to draw out the natural facets of this mineral. In our collection.
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The Glass Mountain is a geologic feature in Lower Cathedral Valley of Capitol Reef National Park consisting of large selenite (gypsum) crystals forming a mound or plug 15 ft high. The iconic Temple of the Sun is a 5,822 ft elevation summit. It is composed of unfractured, buff-pink Entrada Sandstone.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah; May 2014
Voigtländer Color-Skopar f3.5/20mm
Sunset
Sonnenuntergang
White Sands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the state of New Mexico on the north side of Route 70 about 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Doña Ana County. The monument is situated at an elevation of 4,235 feet (1,291 m) in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin and comprises the southern part of a 275 sq mi (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. The gypsum dune field is the largest of its kind on Earth.
Gypsum rarely occurs as sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. The Tularosa Basin has no outlet to the sea, so it traps rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains. Thus water either sinks into the ground, or forms shallow pools that subsequently dry out and leave gypsum on the surface in a crystalline form called selenite. Groundwater that flows out of the Tularosa Basin flows south into the Hueco Basin. During the last ice age, a lake now called Lake Otero covered much of the basin. When it dried out, it left a large flat area of selenite crystals that is now the Alkali Flat. Another lake, Lake Lucero, at the southwest corner of the park, is a dry lake bed, at one of the lowest points of the basin, which occasionally fills with water.
The ground in the Alkali Flat and along Lake Lucero's shore is covered with selenite crystals that reach lengths of up to three feet (1 m). Weathering and erosion eventually break the crystals into sand-size grains that are carried away by the prevailing winds from the southwest, forming white dunes. The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind. Since gypsum is water-soluble, the sand that composes the dunes may dissolve and cement together after rain, forming a layer of sand that is more solid and could affect wind resistance of dunes. This resistance does not prevent dunes from quickly covering the plants in their path. Some species of plants, however, can grow fast enough to avoid being buried by the dunes.
Various forms of dunes are found within the limits of White Sands. Dome dunes are found along the southwest margins of the field, transverse and barchan in the core of the field, and parabolic dunes occur in high numbers along the northern, southern, and northeastern margins. From the visitor center at the entrance of the park, the Dunes Drive leads 8 miles (13 km) into the dunes. Four marked trails allow one to explore the dunes by foot. During the summer, there are also Ranger-guided orientation and nature walks.
Unlike dunes made of quartz-based sand crystals, the gypsum does not readily convert the sun's energy into heat and thus can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. In areas accessible by car, children frequently use the dunes for downhill sledding. Because the park lies completely within the White Sands Missile Range, both the park and U.S. Route 70 between Las Cruces, New Mexico and Alamogordo are subject to closure for safety reasons when tests are conducted on the missile range. On average, tests occur about twice a week, for a duration of one to two hours. Located on the northernmost boundaries of White Sands Missile Range, the Trinity Site can be found, where the first atom bomb was detonated.
(Wikipedia)
Das White Sands National Monument [waɪt ˌsændz -] (deutsch Weißer Sand) ist ein rund 25 km südwestlich von Alamogordo (New Mexico) gelegenes Naturschutzgebiet am nördlichen Ende der Chihuahua-Wüste. Es umfasst in einem weiten Tal – dem Tularosa-Becken – den südlichen Teil eines 712 km² großen Gipsfeldes, auf dem sich riesige Dünen gebildet haben.
Der Gips, aus dem die White Sands bestehen, lag auf dem Grund eines flachen Meeres, das diese Region vor 250 Millionen Jahren bedeckte. Schließlich wurde der Gips zu mit Meeresablagerungen angereichertem Stein, der vor rund 70 Millionen Jahren, als die Rocky Mountains sich formten, zu einer gigantischen Kuppel aufgeworfen wurde. Vor rund zehn Millionen Jahren begann die Mitte dieser Kuppel einzustürzen und bildete fortan das Tularosa Basin. Die verbliebenen Ränder der abgesackten Kuppelformation bilden heute die San Andres Mountains und Sacramento Mountains.
Der Gips (dihydriertes Kalziumsulfat) ist ein Mineral, das weit oben in den San Andres und Sacramento Mountains vorkommt. Durch die Hebung der Berge wurde er im Laufe der Zeit durch Schnee und Regen aus den Felsen gelöst. Anschließend gelangte er in das Tularosa Basin und wurde dort sukzessive als Sediment abgelagert. Dieses würde von Flüssen normalerweise in das Meer getragen werden, doch da es im Tularosa-Becken keinen Abfluss gibt, sind der Gips und andere gelöste Sedimente innerhalb des Tals gefangen. Nachdem das Wasser aus dem Sediment verdunstete, kristallisierte der Gips aus. Die Kristalle zerbrachen wiederum zu Körnern, die durch den Wind zu riesigen weißen, staubigen Dünen aufgetürmt wurden.
Einer der tiefsten Punkte des Tals ist ein großer ausgetrockneter See, der sich zeitweilig mit Wasser füllt: der Lake Lucero. Sobald dessen Wasser wieder verdunstet, sammelt sich gelöster Gips auf der Oberfläche.
Während der letzten Eiszeit gab es noch mehr Gipsablagerungen, da ein großer See – der Lake Otero – den größten Teil des Tals bedeckte. Er trocknete aus und hinterließ eine große Alkali-Ebene.
Während feuchter Wetterperioden, in denen das Wasser langsam verdunstet, lagert sich der Gips am Grund des trockenen Sees in kristalliner Form ab, bekannt als Selenit. Entlang der Küste des Lake Lucero und der Alkali-Ebene bedecken Selenitkristalle den Boden, manche bis zu einem Meter lang, und bilden Lagen. Die Kräfte der Natur, Kälte und Wärme sowie Feuchte und Trockenheit zerbrechen die Kristalle schließlich zu kleinen Sandpartikeln, die leicht genug sind, um vom Wind davongetragen zu werden.
Starke Winde blasen über den trockenen See, nehmen Gipspartikel auf und tragen sie mit sich. Wenn sich die Sandkörnchen zu Dünen aufhäufen, prallen sie gegen die sanftgeschwungene, windwärts gelegene Seite der Düne und produzieren kleine Wellen auf deren Oberfläche. Am steilen Kamm der Düne baut sich der Sand solange auf, bis ihn die Schwerkraft abrutschen lässt; dadurch bewegt sich die Düne vorwärts.
Ausgehend vom Besucherzentrum am Eingang des National Monuments führt der Dunes Drive zwölf Kilometer mitten in die Dünen hinein, von wo aus sie über vier markierte Wege zu Fuß erkundet werden können. Im Sommer werden von den Rangern zudem auch geführte Touren angeboten. Etwa ein- bis zweimal in der Woche wird der Park jedoch aus Sicherheitsgründen gesperrt, wenn in der dem Park umgebenden White Sands Missile Range (White-Sands-Raketenbasis) Raketentests durchgeführt werden.
Im Jahr 2008 wurde das National Monument in die Tentativliste zur Nominierung für das UNESCO-Welterbe aufgenommen.
(Wikipedia)
Selenite ( solfato di calcio biidrato [CaSO4·2H2O] ) , gli antichi la chiamavano così, *per la sua capacità di riflettere la Luce*, ci facevano anche delle finestre (Roma antica) proprio per la sua trasparenza. Comperata per pochi euro su una bancarella ora fa mostra di se in salotto e sul web :) . 70mm. macro, Due sorgenti di Luce, una Fredda a 9 LED bianchi ed una Calda con una torcia ad incandescenza con Gelatina verde davanti alla parabola, lettura Spot, Fuoco Manuale, Stanza completamente buia, Macchina su suppporto a prova di vibrazione, telecomando IR . Buona Visione (nonostante la fortissima riduzione per questo jpeg (per la pubblicazione e per il Copyright) il dettaglio percepibile è stupefacente) .
White Sands National Park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 sq mi; 589.9 sq km) in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi (710 sq km) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth, with a depth of about 30 feet (9.1 m), dunes as tall as 60 feet (18 m), and about 4.5 billion short tons (4.1 billion metric tons) of gypsum sand.
Approximately 12,000 years ago, the land within the Tularosa Basin featured large lakes, streams, grasslands, and Ice Age mammals. As the climate warmed, rain and snowmelt dissolved gypsum from the surrounding mountains and carried it into the basin. Further warming and drying caused the lakes to evaporate and form selenite crystals. Strong winds then broke up crystals and transported them eastward. A similar process continues to produce gypsum sand today.
The park is located about 15 miles south of Alamogordo, NM, USA. Such a unique place and experience, very surreal.
White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, consist of white gypsum or selenite sand dunes and forms part of the 270 square mile Chihuahuan desert.
The problem is, finding parts were no people walked to avoid footsteps and shooting the Soaptree Yucca's under best light and angle. After some searching in the area i found this single one, standing solitary in the dunes at sunrise.
Sunrise was at 6:30am but the park opens at 7am, so what to do? A talk with the ranger, a phone call and yes, there was someone willing (cost you some mighty dollars) to open the gate at 5:45am.
White Sands is all about light, when best light is gone you can pack your gear and leave.
Image is part of the South-West Tour.
Enjoy...
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Technical Details;
Camera; Canon EOS 1Ds mkIII
Lens; Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM
Exposure; 1/4 sec
Aperture; f16
ISO; 100 RAW
Filter; Lee Hard Edge 0.3 Grad
Tripod; Gitzo 3541L
Ballhead; RRS BH-55 with B2 AS II clamp
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Not actually ice though it was meant to look like ice. It is actually Selenite crystal a form of the mineral Gypsum, the stuff used to make the Drywall that you probably have in your house. For the Looking Close... On Friday challenge, Tealight Holder.
Happy Friday!
It does not take the famous national parks to stun you in Colorado - there are so many small natural wonders that wait to be discovered!
This ranger-less park in the middle of nowhere features fantastic geological formations including spires and hoodoos and exposed layers of selenite clay and jasper.