Crystal Mountain - State of Hessen 2019

Observations of micro and macro landscapes on a manmade mountain. The mountain with the nickname "Monte Kali" measures 205 m from foot to summit, raising 500 m NN. On the slag heap, K+S minerals and agriculture GmbH dumps the unavoidable byproducts of their nearby salt mine. For that, the byproduct (mainly rock salt) is prepared with water, then the sludge is pumped on the heap. There the sludge hardens and the water evaporates. The result is a huge, lifeless and salty mountain. The artificial rock face that evolved is crystalline and feels hollow when walking on it. Currently, there are eight of those crystal mountains in the geologically interesting areas in central Germany.