Extraordinary Colors of Salt Evaporation Ponds

Notable salt ponds include the San Francisco Bay salt ponds in the United States, the Dead Sea salt ponds in Israel and Jordan and Useless Loop, Western Australia.

clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org Salt evaporation ponds are shallow man-made ponds designed to produce salt from sea water. The seawater is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org Due to variable algal concentrations, vivid colors, from pale green to bright red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org Micro-organisms change their hues as the salinity of the pond increases. In low to mid-salinity ponds, green algae are predominant. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org In middle to high salinity ponds, an algae called Dunaliella salina shifts the color to red. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org Millions of tiny brine shrimp create an orange cast in mid-salinity ponds. Other bacteria such as Stichococcus also contribute tints. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from en.wikipedia.org These colors are especially interesting to airplane passengers or astronauts passing above due to their somewhat artistic formations of shape and color. clipped from docs.google.com clipped from growabrain.typepad.com Salt evaporation ponds in Peru, in Bulgaria and in Alviso, California on Google Maps. clipped from docs.google.com