what is it on google maps?

[inkydigit]

http://www.rodsbot.com/google-earth-1678.htm

[cyphyr]

My guess would be leather tanning

[Zairyn Arsyn]

thats wild, thats crazy

[inkydigit]

looks great though, doesn't it?

[Seth]

you can see people walking and digging (?)

[Ironshirt]

Hmm, strange landscape
Reminds me of Super Mario Land somehow

[FrankB]

it seems to be related to salt production: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegguiada_In_Tessoum

I also thought at first it might have to do with leather tanning though... but it's way too remote to make sense.

Frank

[Henry Blewer]

I would think it is salt evaporation ponds.

[marginata]

Interesting pic - Salt evaporation ponds

http://armchairtravelogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/beautiful-salt-pans-tegguiada-in.html tells us that -

Salt – an essential ingredient in our diet is produced by evaporation of seawater or brine sources like salt lakes, brine wells/pans and by mining of rock salt. Since the salt lakes and salt ponds/pans/flats have high level of salinity, salt-loving micro-organisms including algae thrive in these places. These make their own food by photosynthesis which gives these salty water bodies hues of various colours varying from green to orange to red. These colours present a beautiful and breathtaking views in aerial imagery of Google Earth. 



Here are the salt pans at Tegguiada-In-Tessoum, Niger which look like beautiful cobbled stones.

[dandelO]

Google just simply couldn't be arsed to render this part of the US for their Map's pages and so resigned to use Bryce 6 for the rendering!

I've never seen this one before but there are some wicked looking things in Google Earth, floating cars, magic bums, orange clitorii, lol!