Dead Seas

I noticed this massive earth work in the background of a music video and, with the help of the clip's maker, managed to locate it on the map. Looking like a koru expansion of Spiral Jetty and remarkably visible from a long way up, HERE are the pink ponds of the Dominion Salt Works at Lake Grassmere, also known as Kaparatehau (wind-blown lake) - some fantastic images here.

Even more impressive are the enormous salt ponds of the Dead Sea, which are well worth SCOUTING AROUND for strange shapes, structures and textures. Note the backbone formed by the Israel-Jordan border, which runs right up the middle of the sea, where you'll find this brilliant STATIC effect just before resolution cuts out.

Wikipedia tells us that the Dead Sea is only the second saltiest body of water on earth, after the CRATER LAKE of Assal, which boasts some impressive volcanic landscapes but none are yet visible at any useful proximity via by google's satellites. Frank Zappa fans may find the location familiar as potentially being the country from which his brilliantly titled Sheik Yerbouti album takes its name.

Image: Lake Grassmere salt farm, taken by Mike Harre