In winter 2019, the first sights of white chalk mounds appeared in Salt Lake in Utah. Every year since then, more and more of these formations have been seen, and for a long time it was unknown where they came from or what their shape was. It writes Independent.

Angelic Anderson, one of the park rangers in Salt Lake National Park, told the paper that the pile got bigger every year.

Anderson said they were so angry they finally had to seek help.

– We were very worried. One of the guards had to contact the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) for answers, Anderson said.

Very rare

Now it was clear what this formation was.

After the UGS was alerted to the unusual sight, tests were conducted to find out what the phenomenon was. The answer turned out to be a type of salt formation called “mirabilite mound” or Glauber’s salt.

The Independent writes that these forms are extremely rare, and occur when underground water reacts with minerals and then bubbles to the surface. When the mixture mixes with cold air, it forms white crystals, which then solidify into chalky white mounds. For Glauber’s salt to form, you depend on cold air, and so this formation is best seen in winter.

Tourist attraction

The area where the mound is found is usually covered by water. But because of the drought, water has dropped dramatically in the last three years, and this provides an ideal area for mounds to grow.

The British website also writes that the natural phenomenon has ensured that more local tourists have traveled to the state park and park rangers have started with guided tours around the area where the formations can be found.