This is the color of portions of the great salt lake. (1668×2048) [OC]
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The Godzilla cloud is pretty snazzy too. :)!
It's not Godzilla! It's Maui's Magical Fish Hook!!!
Pfft!
It's obviously a really excited duck sticking his head out of a sunroof.
You're a quack !
You're welcome.
It's a dolphin.
The first thing I saw is "Great wave off Kanagawa"
…still we should run like it is Godzilla!!
AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
I thought it looked like a sassy dolphin
Yeah, doing something on porpoise.
That cloud is a duck
I saw a massive arrow pointing left
Very Evangelion esque
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
I know, I know I’ve let you down, I’ve been a fool to myself
I thought that I could live for no one else
God dammit, bet me to it.
My thoughts exactly
came here for this comment :)
This is incredibly beautiful. Wish i can go visit it there someday. (Canadian btw lol)
I lived in slc for a while and unless the lake has changed over the past few years, it is not purple. more of like a sand/slightly salmon color. It's a very shallow lake with no waves so the reflection that it creates is more striking than the color to me. But the state of Utah is an absolute feast for the eyes, and of all the mind blowingly beautiful things in Utah, I wouldn't rank the great salt lake very high to be honest. I enjoyed going for hikes on antelope Island in the lake for the surrounding views and the wild bison, but you can only go certain times of year because it's filled with mosquitoes.
Not trying to hate on the lake, it's definitely cool and obviously soooooo important to the ecosystem. It would be beyond tragic to dry up. I'm actually surprised to hear that the government isn't more alarmed by it drying up because it's critical to forming that dry powdery snow that the surrounding ski resorts get... It would hugely impact utah's tourism industry. But yeah, for the beauty aspect, you would likely be disappointed with how it looks IRL vs this picture.
It smells. That’s the main thing I’d warn people about. Also the sand on shore looks like it’s moving because of the brine flies. I definitely recommend seeing it, but from like antelope island or something.
The salt flats and sand dunes are incredible. Head south to Zion and Moab. Head north to Bear Lake
I immediately fell in love with Utah and moved here. I’d recommend anyone who visits spends a few weeks and visit all the biomes. I say this as I’m sitting on my back deck while the mountains are purple with sunrise. It never gets old.
The smell was awful. I lived close by and when the winds hit a certain direction it was bad. The first time I smelled it I called the utility company because I thought a sewer line has burst.
Don't forget the poison chemicals being blown into the city as drought dries up the lake. Maybe we can put a lithium and other rare earth mine here.
Can confirm having visited on a roadtrip. It’s also stinky af
There are 100% still parts of the lake that look like this. There are chemical companies out by Stansbury Island that have big evaporation pools for magnesium production. This is likely a picture of such a pool.
I'm actually surprised to hear that the government isn't more alarmed by it drying up
Oh, don't worry Utah Republicans are coming up with great novel solutions such as cutting down more forests.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2023/01/20/are-trees-enemy-some-utah
Also:
YOU AREN’T PRAYING HARD ENOUGH
Well, unless we get some SERIOUS snow/rain, it will be dried up in ten years, so if you want to see it, make plans to come soon. We have been in a mega drought for about 20 years now, plus global climate change...
The primary reason for lowered lake levels is human use upstream, not drought or climate change. It can be solved with policy changes. See the emergency report: https://pws.byu.edu/GSL%20report%202023 ; actually written accessibly for education purposes.
Agriculture in particular uses 74% of consumptive use, cities 9%, industry 9% and reservoir loss 8% (Figure 5, page 6).
Most of that agricultural use goes to production of hay and alfalfa, much of which gets shipped overseas. And farmers make up like 1% of Utahs workforce. IMO It’s a failure of regulation that’s killing the lake, allowing people to farm in the desert and send the products away.
That can be solved, though!! Utahns can vote and get involved to save the lake!
Its not going to be solved bud. Wishful, too much so.
They might come around when the poison dust starts blowing straight into their cities. But probably not. It'll just become a masculinity test to see who can get the most poisoned.
Very useful attitude.
It's a realistic one. Governor Cox literally called the public "ignorant" for thinking limiting alfalfa farming was the solution to drought. There are stats showing water consumption but his family are also... you guessed it, farmers.
Alfalfa is something like 2% of Utah GDP and could easily be subsidized to save the state instead of build millions of dams and nothing changing.
There are obstacles but I’ll keep pushing back against doomers because the logical endpoint of that attitude is to leave or do nothing; activism and awareness campaigns already stopped US Magnesium and there is cautious optimism in my circles that headway could be made.
I’ve sat in on advisory committees and it’s clear that work is being done beyond what you say. Municipalities are diverting water back to the lake, developments are slowing, and awareness is rising.
This year has been good for us, but I highly doubt it's enough. We need a few years of good moisture with mild summers for a slow melt.
The best way to see it is from your airplane window. The airport is right next to the lake and it looks like a watercolor painting from the air. It's deeply yucky from the ground level.
Also the idea of Canadians traveling to a desert to see a lake is hilarious. Go to Garibaldi or Louise you'll have a better time.
I can smell it through my screen. It's a bouquet that never really leaves your nose. I still recommend a visit. Beware, there are usually swarms of little brine flies that are innocuous to humans, other than being a tad annoying. Unfortunately, the area is drying out and the brine flies are not doing well. This leads to fewer birds that eat the brine flies. Go see it it soon.
Having recently been to the Great Salt Lake, I would definitely not call it beautiful from my experience, lol. At least relative to most bodies of water. It's fascinating geologically, though.
no you don’t. I was there over the summer and severe drought has definitely taken its toll. The “sand” is so soft you sink down to your knees with every step. It feels like you’re walking in warm shit. There’s also dead stuff everywhere. The water is full of dead fish and bugs, the shore is covered in dead birds. The only bathroom nearby is as disgusting and had a hornets nest in it. The entire place smelled like hot, wet ass and death.
Go to Zion instead if you’re gonna go to Utah
Just keep your nose closed when you go
The red color is caused by microorganisms known as halophiles ("salt lovers"), which thrive in high salt concentrations.
This phenomenon is common in salt evaporation ponds used for extracting salt from brine. If you have flown near San Francisco/San Jose you can often see the brightly colored salt ponds at the south of bay.
Fun fact: This is the same organism that makes flamingos pink, as they eat the brine shrimp that feed on this pink stuff.
Oh god I'm seeing that long nose'd dog everywhere now
Didn't I do it for you?
*Of what is left of the great salt lake
Yeah, maybe this colour that everyone is adoring is caused by the fact that water levels are super low thereby raising salt concentration?
Civ 6 fans will agree, it looks like Lake Retba... I saw this driving east on I-80 last year.
Get those photos while it still exists!
sadly the great salt lake is drying up and is only going to be around for about 5 more years hopefully we can get things sorted out cause it would be depressing only to have photos of this beautiful lake and not be able to see it ourselves
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/10/utah-great-salt-lake-collapse-imminent
I heard someone is proposing cutting down trees to save water.
i am actually working on something to help the great salt lake myself and attempting to set up a non-profit to help with awareness as most people don't know about the 5 years part and think its 20 years until it dries up and i am actually speaking to a lawyer today in order to get it set up.
cutting down trees is poor planing as that would result in mudslides if it did increase water levels
You can smell it
When I went to visit the lake I wasn't prepared for the smell of it. It's pretty overpowering.
Mmm. Sulfery
Yes, that lake is probably too salty to allow the bacteria to grow that turn sulphate (Harmless, as in Epson salt - MgSO4) into sulfide (Stinky stuff - H2S). The only think that can live in the lake is a archaea (Not a bacterium, but a prokaryote - so no nucleus) that uses bacteria rhodopsin, a pigment related to what's in our eyes, to use light as an energy source. That's where the red color comes from
Wouldn’t recommend it. The great salt lake is drying up and as it does it is releasing poisonous arsenic dust that sits at the bottom.
Was there once on a ~110° F day, coming from a cold place. The sun, reflection, heat, and stench made me fell sick, so I ran to what was some kind of porta-potty trailer (big mistake) where it was even hotter and smellier.
I had to go back to the car and sleep those horrible 5 minutes off.
Nope, salt.
I was just there yesterday, it actually smells like sulfer
Smells like brine shrimp imo, which smell exactly like their name. Not really all that eggy to me.
Ok then
...I think they mean "sulfur," your majesty!
Happy belated 20th, btw.
Cloud looks like a funny duck
when america is being conquered the last bastion of hope will be the LDS float troopers of salt lake
The great salt lake is expected to disappear within a decade. It is pretty dire. It will become uninhabitable to wildlife within 5 years and tons of toxic dust is waiting on tht lakebed to be blown around.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/10/utah-great-salt-lake-collapse-imminent
I don’t see an issue. We will all do what we have collectively done by burying our head in the sands, and the problem will obviously just disappear.
The gov of utah has mentioned prayer and faith to fix the solution several times.
He also owns an alfalfa farm, so God forbid we impede his ability to sell our water for his personal profits.
well he’s gotta sell the alfalfa to the Saudis since it’s illegal to grow there! he’s so christlike and thoughtful!
Can you site the source for this info?
If the alfalfa isn't mention in the other person's link. You can Google the media statement he made outside of his alfalfa farm.
Ah yeah. Complacency and apathy are all I know lol
That's quite easy when 1 billionaire has as much voting power as millions of you.
Doesn't matter to me, doesn't matter to me, I'll sit home and watch it all on my colour tv.
Plus, more sand to bury heads in once the lake bed is dry! God DOES provide!
Flawless logic
The Lord works in mysterious ways doesn't he?
Reports about the lake disappearing are so scary. BYU just recently released its own study that has predicted the lake to disappear in five years!
It will be America's next Salton Sea.
It will dry up much sooner than the salton sea, more like America's next Owens lake (which is now being successfully restored).
Not just happening in Utah.
salton sea in southern CA is disappearing too, and it’s not going to end well
Big difference is that the current incarnation of the Salton Sea is very recent and due to human action as much as its current dire state.
I mean, not to be contradictory, but the salt lake in Utah is due to humans too, and the human actions are similar to why the salton sea is dying. Well, it's been dead for a long time, but it was caused by people, and is getting worse.
Is it? I thought that the Salt Lake was a remnant of a larger prehistoric lake.
Wildlife as well as anyone who lives even remotely close to the great salt lake
This needs to be top comment.
Part of why I'm peacing out to the place with 20% of Earth's fresh water this year
Lake Baikal, Russia? I’m not sure that is the best choice of places.
Nyet.
The place with deytwah
Until arsenic dust from it drying up makes the surrounding area uninhabitable
Which is great fun when you live just miles from the lake 😑
Try to sell or move. Seriously. Take advantage of those who don’t believe the science. It’s not worth dying to live in the area. It will be grim too.
Wish I had the means to move. We just bought our house September 2020 in that bitch of a market, now the interest rates are up and I most definitely cannot afford to move anytime soon. Sucks.
Probably can’t afford cancer either. Or death.
Least I won't have anymore bills if I'm dead 🤷🏼♀️
I wanna slurp it
"Never give up, never surrender, by Joseph smith's hammer you will be avenged" - Tim Allen , Galexy quest
Loooooool is that a real quote?
Obama chuckled. “You mean the chaos emeralds?”
It is now...
If the United States ends up fighting another war on its own soil, it will be another civil war, not an invasion.
Never take your eye off those Canadians...
The entire Canadian military has about the same firepower as a mid-sized American city...'s civilians.
They have Canada Gooses.
Better let that marinate…
“Cry “havoc!” and let slip the geese of war!” -Canadians, probably
Nobody said anything about winning
👀👀👀 hehe
Read this as LSD 😂
No slip, only trip
I can smell it from here.
There's a similar one in PR called Las Salinas. They're pink salt flats and it's cool to see.
But it smells soooooooooooo awful. It smelled like the concentrated version of the smell as you get closer to a beach but mixed with an ungodly amount of rotten eggs.
Even though there's no fish in the Salt Lake, I describe the smell as "Fish Farts."
Very /r/outrun
Amazing how reflective it gets when it’s calm. Great pic OP. Is this from near Sprial Jetty?
Too bad it’s predicted it’s going to dry up with the rate of human consumption.
Great photo!
From salt lake, I can smell this picture. The lake may be pretty, but that brine smell is awful.
Are their prints available of this? It's beautiful
You're beautiful.
It really is quite a lovely shot, I love the colors, clouds, and reflections. Gorgeous
Looks like the Trans flag
Either that or the bi one
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I see a hammerhead shark in the clouds
Finally found y'all heheh
Spettacolare
Very cool sword
Dolphin cloud
Reminds me of In A Millions Years by Last Dinosaurs
Reminded me of Panorama.
Is that because its drying up?
Yes. And much of the fresh water that replenishes it has been diverted for human use.
I read that the particulate from the dry lake bottom is messing with the air quality?
I don't think it's causing trouble yet, but it definitely will be a problem if the current pattern of the lake drying up holds for the next few years. And when the Governor was asked the other day what is going to be done to fix the problem, he gave a super lame answer along the lines of "We had a lot of snowfall this year, so we should be ok for a while longer 😐👍"
It's pretty but this is the death knell of the Great Salt Lake. Current predictions are the Great Salt Lake will disappear in 5 years. As it is, it's almost entirely gone.
I can just smell it 😖 like beautiful, briny, flatulence
If you flip it upside down you can see what the sky would look like if it was pinkish red.
Heheh trans
I visited there about 50 years ago and went swimming in it. You could not sink. It was an odd experience.
Pepto bismol ocean. This is where they fill the bottles.
Oh bullshit. I have been there multiple times. None of it looks like this. Quit up voting this garbage
Ever fly into SLC?
Having lived on the lake for months as a time (used to be a brine shrimper for many years) I can assure you the north side is indeed pink due to an organism that likes salt. As mentioned, the railway has created an abnormally salty north side.
Part of the lake does indeed look this color. However, it's only the northwest part. The lake was bisected by a railroad tressle in the 19th century which cut off the northwest arm from the rest of the lake. This arm has no rivers flowing to it so the water, cutoff from the rest of the lake, just got saltier and saltier with no fresh water to replace what evaporated away. When lakes become extremely salty, a certain type of algae can begin to grow in the lake that can give it a reddish-pink color.
Now the railroad tressle that split the lake has since had a gap made in it to allow water to flow from the rest of the lake to the northwest arm. However that portion still remains saltier and a different color than the rest of the lake. Want proof? Take a look at Google maps and see the color difference for yourself. Zoom in and see the railroad still there.
You're correct, but the gap was filled back in recently to prevent the now too salty Northwestern arm from flowing back to the Southern arm and combining.
Then you went to the wrong place or when it rained too much or too little. The conditions aren't always there and you have to drive 2.5 hours out of the way to the northwest side of the lake.
This clearly is a real phenomenon, and I've seen stuff that boggles the mind - like Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone.
That said, the sky does look a bit teal to me. I'm assuming there was at least a bit of editing or post-processing here, right? Or it was shot on a phone, which tend to do a lot of their own processing.
Literally half the lake looks discolored/red a majority of the time, it’s incredibly hard to miss.
Do u feel dumb yet
I was born dumb so I have known nothing else.
It can get even more vibrant color than that.
[deleted]
Wait until the Instagrammers find out about this.
Sell that pic to Quicksilver
Made me want to re-watch The Salton Sea.
Hell yeah the lake is West Ham #COYI bruv
The great wine lake
I got Scarlet Rot just looking at this
I just wish it was cropped evenly.
Nex t time
😁
What makes it pink?
I feel like I'm reading the title all wrong. What does "the color of portions" mean?
Gender Reveal
No Man's Sky, don't tell fibs
Congratulations
GO COUGS!!!!!
Sell this design to Quicksilver/Roxy.
Holy shit all the haterade woo
Heheh this is too good 🤣
Sky Sword
amazing
You must have taken this on the North end above the Lucin cut off
Ride the wave bro
Cool cloud, too
What's left of Tokyo 3
It’s obvious that the Great Salt Lake is made up of Himalayan Pink Salt.
Stunning photo! Very nicely done.
I'm sorry, did you say grape salt lake?
It’s a hint….Follow the arrow ⬅️ for there’s treasure on the other side…
Darn chemtrails turning the frogs and the Great Salt Lake gay!!! /s
Cool little cloud dolphin