Reply #17: It could be numerous things [View All]

[Ediacara]

I am looking in an atlas right now and it appears that the numerous small lakes to the east of the Volga on the Qazaq-Russian border are all salt lakes. The two red-colored lakes in particular are El'ton to the west and Aralsor to the east. The white blotchy areas aren't necisarily salt pans, some of them, especially the very large one just south of the two lakes on the Qazaq side of the border is (or was) aparently swampland, so the white could be a reflection of the sun. As for the red color... I agree with previous posters that it could be due to algal or other organismal blooms, but could also be due to high hematite soils (the Colorado River is a similar shade of red-brown due to hematite in the rocks it cuts through). Additionally, there are ergs in the eastern part of the image, so the red could be airborne hematite dust blown toward them.