Photos: Pigments of the imagination

These images were captured by Landsat satellites, run by Nasa and the United States Geological Survey — which monitors global land use, resources, hazards and change.

In a remote part of the Western Desert in central Egypt, highly eroded plateaus rise from the desert floor. The bright speckles are ancient dry lakes, the salt deposits reflecting brightly.

Image 1 of 21: In a remote part of the Western Desert in central Egypt, highly eroded plateaus rise from the desert floor. The bright speckles are ancient dry lakes, the salt deposits reflecting brightly.