Namibia's Etosha Pan Blooms Into Five Rainbow Lagoons in NASA Image
NASA's Earth Observatory released a 2011 ISS photograph showing five transient, rainbow-colored lakes forming along the edge of Namibia's Etosha Pan after heavy rains caused flooding of the Ekuma and Oshigambo rivers. The colors arise from algae blooms in shallow, mineral-rich water, creating a vivid, temporary display on the salt flat that is ecologically important for local wildlife and migratory birds and will vanish as the water dries.