These kinds of pools are known as "tanks" -- hence the name "White Tanks", from the very bleached granodiorite rock in which they are found.

Depressions with pools of water like these are known in the Southwest as "tanks", hence the name for this range, the White Tank Mountains. Here age has been weathered and bleached into smooth picturesque shapes that can hold water all year long.
The White Tanks are another of Arizona's , only here the characteristic structure is less apparent to the average observer.

Read the short GeoStory™ here about the White Tanks and other mountains. You can download it for FREE (PDF <1MB):

First Impressions

Two parts rock plus one part Zen equals alternate state of mind. Or is it alternate state of reality?
The point is, don't think about it too much.

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   See the GeoHistory page if you want to know more about why the landscape looks the way it does, or return to the map of "The Rocks of the Valley of the Sun" for more view locations.
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The White Tank Mountains form the prominent western skyline above Sun City and Luke Air Force Base, west of Phoenix. So far, there are 4 views in this sequence, and this is scene #1.