In the second of my colour in nature series, I look at why desert sands can vary so much in colour; from white, yellow, red to black.

The colour of the desert sand comes in many colours and it will depend on the colour of the rock it weathered from.

White sand – is finely grounded up quartz.
Yellow sand – shows it is composed of feldspar and quartz.
Red sand – shows it is rich in iron.
Black sand –  is from volcanic rocks rich in iron and titanium.

A 275-square-mile desert of soft white sands in New Mexico.

The yellow sands of the Gobi desert (straddles China & Mongolia).

The red sand dunes of the Simpson Desert in the Australian outback.

The back sandy arctic desert known as the Sandar in Iceland.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also like to read the first article in this colour in nature series – the changing colours of sunset.

source information: Hub pages
Image credits: wayfaring.info, dailytravelphotos.com, outbacknt.com.au, twenty-somethingtravel.com