You might be wondering where the volcano is in today"s photo, but that"s not lava. These are salt flats in San Francisco Bay—many of these tidal marshes have been developed into evaporation ponds for the harvest of sea salt. If you happen to be in the air and flying over this part of the country, you"ll notice pools of not just bright orange but green, blue, and even magenta among the famous salt ponds. The vibrant colors are determined by brine shrimp, algae, and other microorganisms and their responses to different levels of salt. This orange results from a mid-level saline concentration and the presence of tiny brine shrimp in the water. Green indicates low levels of salt, while pink or red are signs of high salt content in an algae-rich pond.
San Francisco Bay salt flats
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Halloween
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Vieste, Apulia, Italy
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A picture-perfect day on Trillium
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A march toward a dream
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World Meteorological Day
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The moai you know
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Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
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Welcome to the Ring of Fire
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In the belly of Fat Bear Week
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Memorial Day
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Native American Heritage Month
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Museum Night in Berlin
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Hyalite Creek at Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana
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Maldives
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Where fire meets water
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World Parrot Day
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A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
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It s National Camera Day. Get the picture?
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Across the great plains of Africa
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World Water Day
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Falling for Rioja
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Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
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Joan charges Riverside Park
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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
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In the Most Serene Republic
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The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
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Big wheels on a big mountain
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Tennis in the park
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Travel Sunday: Flamenco in Granada, Andalusia, Spain
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Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, New York