Thanks, guys.
Francois, I thought that "inversion" interesting, too. I don't know what the dark plants in the distance are, but I am guessing creosote bushes; the lighter soil I believe derives from an alluvial fan. The black sand in the foreground appeared volcanic to me, but I am not sure; this site was to the southwest of Ubehebe crater, which was created by an explosion when rising magma came in contact with subterranean water or ice. I don't know what the lighter colored plants are, maybe some kind of thorny grass.
