Salt crust
Hexagonal shapes.
samiamx — CC BY 2.0 · Supercarwaar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aleksomber — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Supercarwaar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jan Helebrant — CC0
Badwater Basin is an endorheic basin in Death Valley National Park, California, about 24 km south of Furnace Creek in a straight line. It is the lowest point in North America, 86 metres below sea level. Its name, bad water, comes from a small spring-fed pool beside the road whose water is undrinkable because of the salts. Even so, the pool supports plants, aquatic insects and a tiny snail known as the Badwater snail. After heavy rain the valley floor floods into a shallow temporary lake, but it dries quickly, as yearly evaporation is about 80 times the rainfall. The white salt crust stretches far into the distance, and freeze–thaw and evaporation push its surface into hexagonal shapes. Dark, steep mountains rise above the basin, and a sign high on the cliff above the car park marks sea level, showing how low you stand. A short boardwalk starts at the car park, and visitors then walk out across the packed salt deep into the basin. Summer heat is extreme and dangerous, so visit between November and March, early in the day, with plenty of water and a hat.
Hexagonal shapes.
On the cliff.
Salty water.
Badwater Road, Death Valley National Park, California, United States
November to March, in the morning.
Yes, in summer it is extreme.