Sunrise over Alvord Desert Playa, Oregon
The Alvord Desert is normally dry, but during seasons that are especially wet, it floods and becomes a shallow lake. Because the playa has no outlet, the water eventually evaporates, leaving behind a mudcracked surface. The mudcracks in the foreground of this photo must be left-over from the last time the lake dried because they are still saturated with water --but will re-crack as this water evaporates. Click here for more photos of playas, including Alvord Desert.

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