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:
-
National Museum of African American History and Culture
-
The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
-
Chocolate Hills
-
The ruins of a Maya superpower
-
‘Ciao’ from Varenna
-
A medieval Moorish gem
-
Sands of time
-
A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
-
Welcome to the Ring of Fire
-
A throng of ice and spires
-
World Laughter Day
-
It s Bermuda s big day
-
A bridge too Fawr
-
Is that a face in the sand?
-
A grotesque scene
-
White Desert National Park, Egypt
-
Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
-
Here s looking at you
-
Glacial spires in the fog
-
Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
-
Best fronds forever
-
An uncommonly cool critter
-
Black History Month
-
Irohazaka road
-
Pandas pucker up for International Kissing Day
-
National Park Week: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
-
Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England
-
New Year s Day
-
The Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve in Siberia, Russia
-
Perfect timing