1982 Map of Heart of the Sands NE

About this map

White Sands Missile Range dominates this orthophotomosaic, where the stark desert geography of the Tularosa Basin is recorded with precision. The landscape is characterized by the expansive Alkali Flat and numerous deposits of Shifting Sand that migrate across the basin floor. This map, edited in 1982, reveals a specialized military environment where remote technical installations such as Ratscat and a Radio Tower sit alongside a solitary Water Tank and a network of Jeep Trails. The boundary between Doña Ana and Otero counties cuts through the northern portion of the sheet, providing a administrative framework for this otherwise unpopulated terrain. The orthophotomosaic format is particularly useful here, as it preserves the visual textures of the dunes and flats that topographic lines alone cannot fully convey.