Namibia

The white area is a playa lake located in the desert of Namibia in southwest Africa. The dune in the background is over 200 meters (650 feet) tall, among the highest in the world. The playa surface consists of dried chemical salts left behind after rare storms flood the lake. Similar processes likely formed the light-colored deposits Opportunity found in Meridiani Plains on Mars. Although that area was probably not wet all the time, it may have been able to support life. Conditions on ancient Mars were much more Earth-like than they are now.