Amazing pictures taken from the air, show the incredible colours of the California salt flats that span miles across the South Bay Area near San Francisco, where since 1854 salt has been one of San Francisco's largest industries, with over 80% of its wetlands developed for salt mining.
From eerie ponds to gothic shades of red, the surreal landscapes are caused by the different organisms or micro-algae living within the pools, which eventually dry up as the weather gets warmer.
The flats form when rain falling on distant mountains and hills create floods that rush down the hill, eroding minerals on the way, then gathering in basins, and eventually drying up until only the salt and minerals are left.
Microorganisms in each pond are determined by their tolerance to salt content and the colours are reactions to salt levels, for example in low salt content ponds green algae thrives, while deep coral pink is caused by algae which produces a red pigment in response to high salt content.
Photographer Cris Benton, 62, has spent more than 10 years studying the region and amassed quarter of a million images so far using cameras held aloft by large handmade kites, shooting from about 300ft above the ground - closer to the ground that aeroplanes can fly meaning he can capture the salt in sharp detail.
Mr Benton said: 'You can go to several places around the bay and spend several hours driving around and you never know it's there, you see it from an aeroplane when flying in but when standing there looking across the flat landscape you just see the sky reflected so unaware of the incredible colour.'
See pictures here
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