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The mounds in this photo are made of salt!
Nature Picture Library/Alamy Stock Photo
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Another World?
This may look like the surface of another planet, but it’s actually in Ethiopia, a country in East Africa. This area, called the Danakil Depression, is covered with odd-shaped mounds of salt and glowing pools of hot, toxic water. These colorful features are caused by volcanic gases and melted rock brewing below the surface. This strange desert landscape is also one of hottest places on Earth. Daytime temperatures can soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit!