It’s no secret that Mother Nature loves to get weird, and man it when she does. But of all the freaky creations she’s dreamt up during her 4.5 billion years of existence—god-like mystery monoliths, swirling crimson deserts, oceans that glow—one of the strangest has to be Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression. This volcanic region is known as a geological wonder and it is located in one of the most barren and arid regions of the planet. The Danakil Depression is one of the most exceptional sites that exist, composed of hardened lava covered with a thick layer of salt. Danakil Depression seems more alien than Earth-like and it is the hottest place on Earth and during the summer months, temperatures can get up to a high of 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit) thanks to geothermal heat caused by volcanic activity. Also, the place is one of the lowest (over 400 feet below sea level) and it attracts three main types of people to the area: salt miners, scientists and travelers. As one of the hottest and most exotic environments on Earth, the Danakil Depression is helping to redefine the conditions for life on our own planet and beyond. Many travelers attracted by the depression’s alien-looking landscape. As they have done for centuries, miners travel hours — often by camel caravans — to extract salt slabs from the flat pans around Lakes. Salt is the region’s “white gold” and was a form of currency in Ethiopia until the 20th century.