Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008

Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
These evaporation ponds are on the southern shore of Lake Afrera. Cinder cones and Hayli Gubbi volcano in the background.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Salt foam gets piled up along the shore of Lake Afrera (or Giulietti) by the prevailing northern winds.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Remarkably, these palms seem able to survive even in such an unhospitale salty environment.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Water from the lake is evaporated in these artifical ponds, creating salt deposits in a few days.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Very early in the morning workers cut up the dried salt crust.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Then very large salt blocks are lifted...
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
...while Venus shines high in the sky (upper left).
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Then the salt blocks are broken in smaller pieces.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
The salt is now ready to be removed from the pond...
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
...and is here piled up to be later picked up by trucks.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Time for a well-deserved breakfast.
Salt from Lake Giulietti 2008
Salt dust in the air can do much damage to eyes!
Photos by Marco Fulle, taken with 16mm fisheye lens, 24-85mm zoom and digital single lens reflex camera.