images

Potash Mine Near Moab, Utah

by

Nasa/Novapix

Reference

t-nauta-00006

Date

2019-09-23

Solar evaporation ponds outside the city of Moab, Utah. There are 23 colorful ponds spread across 400 acres. They are part of a large operation to mine potassium chloride—more commonly referred to as muriate of potash (MOP)—from ore buried underground. MOP is in high demand as fertilizer because there are no easy substitutes for potassium, an essential nutrient for plant growth. Each pond color indicates a different state of evaporation.
This astronaut photograph was acquired on June 26, 2017 from the international space station (ISS).