To grow the forest, eighty grams of salt was dissolved in 700 mL of water and then poured into a half-gallon glass pickle jar. Fresh water was carefully poured, to minimize mixing, onto the saltwater and completely fills the jar.

Three holes were punched in the plastic lid from a coffee can. Glass eyedroppers, filled with a different color of food coloring, were carefully inserted into the holes. The dense food coloring "falls through" the less dense frehs water but does not penetrate the denser saltwater layer. After approximately 30 minutes, the food coloring forms the tree-like patterns shown in the photograph.

The above picture was taken with an inexpensive digital camera. This picture is one of Mr. Wilson's 12 photos that were presented at APS/DFD meeting (San Diego, Nov. 18-20, 2001) and was titled as 'A Fluid Forest'.

*Los Alamos National Laboratory