Mining.com: Potash ponds in the Utah desert

To the non-expert eye they may seem a set of mirages, but these turquoise-purple-pink visions are what ground-level potash ponds look like near Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah.

IMAGE GALLERY: Potash ponds in the Utah’s desert

These man-made pools are for collecting potash that is pumped up from underground. The sun then evaporates the fluids, leaving the fertilizer ingredient up for grabs.

IMAGE GALLERY: Potash ponds in the Utah’s desert

IMAGE GALLERY: Potash ponds in the Utah’s desert

IMAGE GALLERY: Potash ponds in the Utah’s desert

The spectacular blue is not, however, Nature’s gift. Workers add dye to the water so that it can absorb heat and evaporate more quickly, a process that normally would take about 300 days.

 By Nelson Minar| Flickr Commons.

IMAGE GALLERY: Potash ponds in the Utah desert

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