Early Ordovician El Paso Formation and Late Ordovician Montoya Formation, Rhodes Canyon
— Michael C. Pope

The present report summarizes results from Landsat 7 ETM+ and ASTER imagery from several sites in the White Sands – Lake Lucero region. Gypsum to clay to sodium sulfate + halite mineralogical zoning is present to the northwest of the visitors area of the White Sands National Monument. Samples along a traverse within the gypsum dunefield have a measured grain size variation and laboratory based reflectance spectral determinations of these samples show changes that, because of the control of variables in the experiment, can only be associated with grain size variations. In addition to the goal of saline soil characterization, mapping of playa regions can provide immediate information relevant to regional groundwater hydrology and quality, and mineral resource possibilities.