The Danakil Depression, located in Ethiopia's Danakil Desert, has been called the hottest inhabited place on the planet and dubbed "The Cruelest Place on Earth" by National Geographic.
The basin is home to the Afar people who withstand year-round averages temperatures of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, although temperatures can reach as a high as 145 degrees.
The depression is about 328 feet below sea level, and features a lot of red rock, sulfur fields, and salt deposits.
Geologists believe that the salt was deposited gradually over time, as the nearby Red Sea periodically flooded into the region. The extreme heat in the desert vaporized the floodwaters, leaving only the salt behind.
In the Danakil, salt means money. The entire local economy depends on mining and trading the mineral.
Miners use traditional methods — camel caravans, pickaxes, and rope — to cut, pack, and ferry the salt out of the harsh basin.
It can be dangerous work, though. The heat can kill unprepared workers, and the occasional earthquake can split the ground and swallow camels.
The Danakil Depression is one of the lowest points on Earth that is not covered in water. Geologists believe that in 10 million years, this searing desert will once again be submerged under water.
The brilliant green and gold colors are the result of sulfur deposits that come from underground hot springs. It looks pretty, but smells like rotten eggs.
It's a four-day trek to the Danakil Basin, during which salt miners camp in the desert with their camels.
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