San Andres Mountains

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The San Andres Mountains are a mountain range in the state of New Mexico of the United States, in the counties of Socorro, Sierra, and Doña Ana. Some sources consider the San Andres Mountains to be a portion of the Rocky Mountains, though the more northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains are more often considered to be the southernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains. The mountains extend about 75 miles (120 km) north to south but are about 12 miles (19 km) wide at their widest. The highest peak in the San Andres Mountains is Salinas Peak, 8,965 feet (2,733 m).

The San Andres Mountains form the eastern edge of the rift valley of the Rio Grande through their length, and are made up of west-dipping fault blocks, made primarily of limestone. Gypsum deposits washed from these mountains were one of the main sources of the gypsum making up the dunes in White Sands National Monument. Though nearly contiguous with the Organ Mountains to the south, the two are very distinct geologically and botanically. The much lower Oscura Mountains to the north are separated from the San Andres Mountains by a gap 8 miles wide. The mountains are dry and barren and are inaccessible to the general public, lying almost entirely within the White Sands Missile Range.

[edit] References

• "San Andres Mountains". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved June 3, 2005.
• "San Andres Mountains". New Mexico Tourism Department. Retrieved June 3, 2005.
• "San Andres Mountains". Encyclopædia Britannica, online edition. Retrieved June 3, 2005.