Fields of chimneys

Amidst these flat salt flats, the strain caused by the splitting of the Nubian and Somalian plates creates an other-worldly landscape where rising magma oozes out onto the surface through thin cracks in the dry ground. The intruding magma also causes another interesting above-ground effect by heating underground springs rich in minerals. The heating of the underwater springs causes boiling water to bubble up to the surface, where it deposits dissolved calcium carbonates, creating towering chimneys, some of which can reach heights exceeding 50 meters.