San Francisco Bay salt flat

You might be wondering where the volcano is in today’s photo, but that’s not lava. These are salt evaporation ponds in San Francisco Bay. If you fly over this part of the United States, you’ll notice bright orange, green, blue and even magenta pools that are part of the famous salt ponds. The vibrant colours are determined by brine shrimp, algae and other microorganisms and their responses to different levels of salt. This orange results from about 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.
© Jeffrey Lewis/Tandem Stills + Motion