Utahns who want to catch a glimpse of rare salt formations on the shores of the Great Salt Lake can take a public tour this weekend.
Park rangers first spotted the rare salt formations on the south shore of the lake in October, according to Utah State Parks officials.
After investigating, staff discovered that the mounds were Glauber's salt, also known as "mirabilite." State officials say researchers are particularly interested in this formation because they may have similar features to conditions on Mars.
Mirabilite mounds are rare, state officials say, and never have been documented before at the Great Salt Lake.