Salt lake

Salt lake ( also: salt water lake ) is located, the name for an inland water with salt water with no outlet in an ocean, in a sink or basin. Salt lakes are usually found in arid regions or deserts, so that steadily increased through the continued evaporation of the content of salts and minerals in the water body. If the evaporation is greater than the flow of water, produces a salt desert. When seasonal weather as alternating rainy and dry periods, a continuous change from salt desert and salt lake is possible, as in the Atlas Mountains. Even human intervention such as branching of the water for irrigation can make the water level of these lakes fluctuate greatly.

Use

Salt lakes are used for salt extraction, for the extraction of salt as a bath additive - used and the reduction of phosphates - particularly from the Dead Sea. The salt flats of partially evaporated salt lakes may offer a smooth surface on which vehicles have a good grip, and provide good conditions for high speed racing. The Bonneville Flats in Utah are famous for speed records, some such planes are also used as a cost effective start and runway in aviation, for example, the Rogers Dry Lake. Salt lakes also attract many tourists, both because of the bathing experience (you can not practically go ), but which lead the water and the air around especially at the Dead Sea for the relief of skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

Known and extraordinary salt lakes

There are many salt lakes on Earth, some of which are pronounced very differently. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is 12,000 km ², the largest salt lake in the world. However, in periods of low precipitation, it is a salt desert. The Don Juan lake in the Antarctic dry valleys, however, has only a tiny area of ​​0.03 km ², but with 44% of the lake with the highest salt content in the soil. The salinity of the oceans, however, is only about 3 to 4 %. If in addition to sodium chloride and carbonates are dissolved in large quantities, the pH of salt lakes increased. This is referred to soda or soda lakes.

Among the most famous salt lakes are the Dead Sea with an average of 28 % salt content and the Great Salt Lake in Utah with 25 % salt content. The salinity of the shrinking Aral Sea has now increased to about 8%. More salt lakes are:

  • Lake Assal in Djibouti ( with 35% of the lake with the highest salt content outside Antarctica )
  • Lake Rudolf (Africa)
  • In the Zagros Mountains ( Iran)
  • In the Rift Valley ( Kenya)
  • Lake Van ( Turkey 's largest )
  • Lake Tuz ( Salt Lake at Sereflikochisar Turkey)
  • Lop Nor ( historically important in China with Yardangs )
  • Qinghai Lake (also: Kokonor; largest China )
  • Nam Co ( also: Tengrinor; 's second largest China )
  • Lake Eyre ( Australia's largest )
  • Mar Chiquita ( Argentina)
  • Baskunchak (80 % of Russia's production of salt )
  • Salar de Atacama (the largest salt lake in Chile)
  • Mono Lake (USA)
  • Chott el Jerid ( located in the south of Tunisia and is part of the largest salt lake area of the Sahara. )
  • Sutton Salt Lake in New Zealand, which was formed by the salty aerosols of the Pacific Ocean.
  • Salt lakes in Ocna Sibiului (Romania )
  • Smaller salt lakes in Burgenland, called saline lakes.
  • In the Franconian town of Bad Windsheim an artificial salt lake for therapeutic applications has been created
  • In the southern Kalahari Desert ( in the triangle of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana ), the so-called Kalahari salt is obtained from a natural salt lake.

Habitat

Ordinary fish and mollusks can not live in highly saline waters. However, there are some types of creatures that could adapt to such conditions, the so-called halo -philes. This includes the Artemia salina (salt cancer), which in turn attracts flamingos.

Human impact on the environment Miscanti Lake Tasitolu Desert climate Dry season Bath salts Don Juan Pond Lake Assal (Djibouti) Chott el Djerid Great Basin Sabkha Integrated Authority File
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