Evaporation ponds change color at the potash mine in Moab, Utah. The facility produces muriate of potash, a potassium‐containing salt that is a major component in fertilizers. The salt is pumped to the surface from underground brines and dried in these massive solar ponds. As the water evaporates over a span of 300 days, the salts crystallize out. The variation of color occurs because the water is dyed a deep blue (darker water absorbs more sunlight and heat, thereby reducing the amount of time

Evaporation ponds change color at the potash mine in Moab, Utah. The facility produces muriate of potash, a potassium‐containing salt that is a major component in fertilizers. The salt is pumped to the surface from underground brines and dried in these massive solar ponds. As the water evaporates over a span of 300 days, the salts crystallize out. The variation of color occurs because the water is dyed a deep blue (darker water absorbs more sunlight and heat, thereby reducing the amount of time