Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
→List: These are actually lagoons and/or estuaries |
||
| (397 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Landlocked body of water which has a high concentration of salts}}
{{Other uses|Salt Lake (disambiguation){{!}}Salt Lake}}
{{Water salinity}}
[[File:Ethiopia - Lake Assale.jpg|thumb|One of two [[salt lakes]] in the northern end of the [[Danakil Depression]] known as [[Lake Karum]]]]
A '''salt lake''' or '''saline lake''' is a landlocked [[body of water]] that has a [[concentration]] of [[salt]]s (typically [[sodium chloride]]) and other dissolved [[mineral]]s significantly higher than most [[lake]]s (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Physical Characteristics of Great Salt Lake |url=https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/gsl/physical_char/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=learn.genetics.utah.edu}}</ref> In some cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than [[Seawater|sea water]]; such lakes can also be termed [[hypersaline lake]], and may also be [[pink lake]]s on account of their color. An alkalic salt lake that has a high content of [[carbonate]] is sometimes termed a [[soda lake]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Hammer |first=U. T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOdvPFm6SyoC&q=35%E2%80%B0 |title=Saline Lake Ecosystems of the World |date=1986-04-30 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-90-6193-535-3 |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref>
Salt lakes are classified according to [[salinity]] levels. The formation of these lakes is influenced by processes such as evaporation and deposition. Salt lakes face serious conservation challenges due to climate change, [[pollution]] and water diversion.
== Classification ==
The primary method of classification for salt lakes involves assessing the chemical composition of the water within the lakes, specifically its salinity, [[pH]], and the dominant ions present.<ref name=":0" />
=== Subsaline ===
Subsaline lakes have a salinity lower than that of [[seawater]] but higher than [[Fresh water|freshwater]], typically ranging from 0.5 to 3 grams per liter (g/L).<ref name=":0" />
=== Hyposaline ===
Hyposaline lakes exhibit salinities from 3 to 20 g/L,<ref name=":0hypo">{{Cite book |last=Hammer |first=U. T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOdvPFm6SyoC&q=hyposaline |title=Saline Lake Ecosystems of the World |date=1986-04-30 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-90-6193-535-3 |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref> which allows for the presence of freshwater species along with some salt-tolerant aquatic organisms.<ref name=":0" /> [[Lake Alchichica]] in Mexico is a hyposaline lake.<ref>{{Citation |last=Oliva |first=Ma. Guadalupe |title=Phytoplankton dynamics in a deep, tropical, hyposaline lake |date=2001 |work=Saline Lakes |pages=299–306 |editor-last=Melack |editor-first=John M. |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-017-2934-5_27 |access-date=2024-11-19 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-017-2934-5_27 |isbn=978-90-481-5995-6 |last2=Lugo |first2=Alfonso |last3=Alcocer |first3=Javier |last4=Peralta |first4=Laura |last5=del Rosario Sánchez |first5=Ma. |editor2-last=Jellison |editor2-first=Robert |editor3-last=Herbst |editor3-first=David B.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
=== Mesosaline ===
Mesosaline lakes have a salinity level ranging from 20 to 50 g/L.<ref name=":0hypo"/><ref name=":16">{{Cite journal |last=Bowman |first=Jeff S. |last2=Sachs |first2=Julian P. |title=Chemical and physical properties of some saline lakes in Alberta and Saskatchewan |url=https://aquaticbiosystems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-1448-4-3 |journal=Saline Systems |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=3 |doi=10.1186/1746-1448-4-3 |issn=1746-1448 |pmc=2365950 |pmid=18430240 |doi-access=free}}</ref> An example of a mesosaline lake is [[Redberry Lake (Saskatchewan)|Redberry Lake]] in [[Saskatchewan|Saskatchewan, Canada]].<ref name=":16" />
==
Hypersaline lakes possess salinities greater than 35 g/L,<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":15">{{Cite journal |last=Saccò |first=Mattia |last2=White |first2=Nicole E. |last3=Harrod |first3=Chris |last4=Salazar |first4=Gonzalo |last5=Aguilar |first5=Pablo |last6=Cubillos |first6=Carolina F. |last7=Meredith |first7=Karina |last8=Baxter |first8=Bonnie K. |last9=Oren |first9=Aharon |last10=Anufriieva |first10=Elena |last11=Shadrin |first11=Nickolai |last12=Marambio‐Alfaro |first12=Yeri |last13=Bravo‐Naranjo |first13=Víctor |last14=Allentoft |first14=Morten E. |title=Salt to conserve: a review on the ecology and preservation of hypersaline ecosystems |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12780 |journal=Biological Reviews |language=en |volume=96 |issue=6 |pages=2828–2850 |doi=10.1111/brv.12780 |issn=1464-7931|url-access=subscription }}</ref> or 50 g/L,<ref name=":0hypo"/> often exceeding 200 g/L. The extreme salinity levels create harsh conditions that limit the diversity of life, primarily supporting specialized organisms such as [[Haloarchaea|halophilic bacteria]] and certain species of [[brine shrimp]].<ref name=":15" /> These lakes can have high concentrations of sodium salts and minerals, such as lithium, making such lakes vulnerable to mining interests.<ref name=":15" /> Hypersaline lakes can be found in the [[McMurdo Dry Valleys]] in Antarctica, where salinity can reach ≈440‰.<ref>{{Citation |last=Rich |first=Virginia I. |title=Aquatic Environments |date=2015 |work=Environmental Microbiology |pages=111–138 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-394626-3.00006-5 |access-date=2024-11-19 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-394626-3 |last2=Maier |first2=Raina M.}}</ref> [[File:Lake_Hillier_Shoreline_Pink_Hue_Salt_Deposite.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Hillier]] shoreline with microorganisms including [[Dunaliella salina]], red algae which cause the salt content in the lake to create a red dye]]
== Formation ==
Salt lakes form through complex chemical, geological, and biological processes, influenced by environmental conditions like high [[evaporation]] rates and restricted water outflow. As water carrying dissolved [[mineral]]s ([[sodium]], [[potassium]], and [[magnesium]]) enters these basins, it gradually evaporates, concentrating these minerals until they precipitate as salt deposits.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=Zhangfa |last2=Zeng |first2=Ying |last3=Li |first3=Xuequn |last4=Sun |first4=Hongbo |last5=Li |first5=Longgang |last6=He |first6=Wanghai |last7=Chen |first7=Peijun |last8=Yu |first8=Xudong |date=Nov 2024 |title=Solid–Liquid Phase Equilibria of the Aqueous Quaternary System Rb+, Cs+, Mg2+//SO42− - H2O at T = 323.2 K |journal=Separations |language=en |volume=11 |issue=11 |pages=309 |doi=10.3390/separations11110309 |doi-access=free |issn=2297-8739}}</ref> Then, specific [[Ion|ions]] interact under controlled temperatures, which leads to solid-solution formation and salt [[crystal]] deposition within the lake bed.<ref name=":4" /> This cycle of evaporation and [[Deposition (geology)|deposition]] is the main process to the unique saline environment that characterizes a salt lake.<ref name=":4" />[[File:Soltan salt lake iran.jpg|thumb|Soltan lake in Iran with salt mounds]]Environmental factors further shape the composition and formation of salt lakes. Seasonal variations in temperature and evaporation drive mineral saturation and promote salt [[crystallization]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Shouyan |last2=Ma |first2=Yanfang |last3=Liu |first3=Xin |last4=Ma |first4=Xiuzhen |last5=Fu |first5=Zhenhai |date=2024-11-02 |title=Distribution and Evaporation Characteristics of Rb and Cs in Complex Salt Brine Systems |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883292724003214 |journal=Applied Geochemistry |pages=106216 |doi=10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106216 |issn=0883-2927|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In dry regions, water loss during warmer seasons concentrates the lake's salts.<ref name=":8" /> This creates a dynamic environment where seasonal shifts affect the salt lake's mineral layers, contributing to its evolving structure and composition.<ref name=":8" /> Groundwater rich in dissolved ions often serve as primary mineral sources that, combined with processes like evaporation and deposition, contribute to salt lake development.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Last |first=William M. |date=2002-12-01 |title=Geolimnology of salt lakes |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03020619 |journal=Geosciences Journal |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=347–369 |doi=10.1007/BF03020619 |issn=1598-7477|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
== Biodiversity ==
[[File:Larnaca 01-2017 img32 Salt Lake.jpg|thumb|239x239px|Salt Lake in [[Larnaca|Larnaca, Cyprus]]]]
Salt lakes host a diverse range of animals, despite high levels of salinity acting as significant environmental constraints.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last1=Kornyychuk |first1=Yuliya |last2=Anufriieva |first2=Elena |last3=Shadrin |first3=Nickolai |date=Mar 2023 |title=Diversity of Parasitic Animals in Hypersaline Waters: A Review |journal=Diversity |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=409 |doi=10.3390/d15030409 |doi-access=free |issn=1424-2818}}</ref> Increased salinity worsens oxygen levels and thermal conditions, raising the water's density and [[viscosity]], which demands greater energy for animal movement.<ref name=":10" /> Despite these challenges, salt lakes support biota adapted to such conditions with specialized physiological and biochemical mechanisms.<ref name=":11">{{Citation |last=Finlayson |first=C. M. |title=Salt Lakes |date=2016 |work=The Wetland Book: II: Distribution, Description and Conservation |pages=1–12 |editor-last=Finlayson |editor-first=C. Max |url=https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-94-007-6173-5_255-1 |access-date=2024-11-16 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-6173-5_255-1 |isbn=978-94-007-6173-5 |editor2-last=Milton |editor2-first=G. Randy |editor3-last=Prentice |editor3-first=R. Crawford |editor4-last=Davidson |editor4-first=Nick C.|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Common salt lake invertebrates include various parasites, with around 85 parasite species found in saline waters, including [[Crustacean|crustaceans]] and [[Monogenea|monogeneans]].<ref name=":10" /> Among them, the filter-feeding brine shrimp plays a crucial role as a keystone species by regulating [[phytoplankton]] and [[bacterioplankton]] levels.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal |last1=Shadrin |first1=Nickolai |last2=Anufriieva |first2=Elena |last3=Gajardo |first3=Gonzalo |date=Jan 2023 |title=Ecosystems of Inland Saline Waters in the World of Change |journal=Water |language=en |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=52 |doi=10.3390/w15010052 |doi-access=free |issn=2073-4441}}</ref> The Artemia species also serves as an intermediate host for helminth parasites that affect migratory water birds such as flamingos, grebes, gulls, shorebirds, and ducks.<ref name=":12" /> [[Vertebrate|Vertebrates]] in saline lakes include certain fish and bird species, though they are sensitive to fluctuations in salinity.<ref name=":11" /> Many saline lakes are also alkaline, which imposes physiological challenges for fish, especially in managing nitrogenous waste excretion.<ref name=":13">{{Citation |last1=Brauner |first1=Colin J. |title=9 - Extreme Environments: Hypersaline, Alkaline, and Ion-Poor Waters |date=2012-01-01 |work=Fish Physiology |volume=32 |pages=435–476 |editor-last=McCormick |editor-first=Stephen D. |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123969514000098 |access-date=2024-11-16 |series=Euryhaline Fishes |publisher=Academic Press |last2=Gonzalez |first2=Richard J. |last3=Wilson |first3=Jonathan M. |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-396951-4.00009-8 |isbn=978-0-12-396951-4 |editor2-last=Farrell |editor2-first=Anthony P. |editor3-last=Brauner |editor3-first=Colin J.|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Fish species vary by lake; for instance, the Salton Sea is home to species such as carp, striped mullet, humpback sucker, and rainbow trout.<ref name=":13" />
== Stratification ==
[[File:Dimictic lake.png|thumb|329x329px|Lake stratification in different seasons]]
[[Stratification (water)|Stratification]] in salt lakes occurs as a result of the unique chemical and environmental processes that cause water to separate into layers based on [[density]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Boehrer |first1=Bertram |last2=Schultze |first2=Martin |date=Jun 2008 |title=Stratification of lakes |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2006RG000210 |journal=Reviews of Geophysics |language=en |volume=46 |issue=2 |doi=10.1029/2006RG000210 |issn=8755-1209}}</ref> In these lakes, high rates of evaporation often concentrate salts, leading to denser, saltier water sinking to the lake's bottom, while fresher water remains nearer the surface.<ref name=":5" /> These seasonal changes influence the lake's structure, making stratification more pronounced during warmer months due to increasing evaporation, which drives separation between saline and fresher layers in the lake, leading a phenomenon known as [[Meromictic lake|meromixis]] (meromictic state), primarily prevents [[oxygen]] from penetrating the deeper layers and create the [[Dead zone (ecology)|hypoxic]] (low oxygen) or [[Anoxic zones|anoxic]] (no oxygen) zones.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Radosavljevic |first1=Jovana |last2=Slowinski |first2=Stephanie |last3=Rezanezhad |first3=Fereidoun |last4=Shafii |first4=Mahyar |last5=Gharabaghi |first5=Bahram |last6=Van Cappellen |first6=Philippe |date=2024-02-01 |title=Road salt-induced salinization impacts water geochemistry and mixing regime of a Canadian urban lake |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292724000337 |journal=Applied Geochemistry |volume=162 |pages=105928 |doi=10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.105928 |issn=0883-2927|doi-access=free }}</ref> This separation eventually influenced the lake's chemistry, supporting only specialized microbial life adapted to extreme environments with high salinity and low oxygen levels.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Ladwig |first1=Robert |last2=Rock |first2=Linnea A. |last3=Dugan |first3=Hilary A. |date=2023-02-01 |title=Impact of salinization on lake stratification and spring mixing |url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023LimOL...8...93L/abstract |journal=Limnology and Oceanography Letters |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=93–102 |doi=10.1002/lol2.10215|bibcode=2023LimOL...8...93L |doi-access=free }}</ref> The restricted vertical mixing limits [[Nutrient cycle|nutrient cycling]], creating a favorable ecosystem for [[Halophile|halophiles]] (salt-loving organisms) that rely on these saline conditions for stability and balance.<ref name=":6" />
The extreme conditions within stratified salt lakes have a profound effect on [[Aquatic ecosystem|aquatic life]], as oxygen levels are severely limited due to the lack of vertical mixing.<ref name=":6" /> [[Extremophile|Extremophiles]], including specific [[bacteria]] and [[archaea]], inhabit the hypersaline and oxygen-deficient zones at lower depths.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Andrei |first1=Adrian-Ştefan |last2=Robeson |first2=Michael S. |last3=Baricz |first3=Andreea |last4=Coman |first4=Cristian |last5=Muntean |first5=Vasile |last6=Ionescu |first6=Artur |last7=Etiope |first7=Giuseppe |last8=Alexe |first8=Mircea |last9=Sicora |first9=Cosmin Ionel |last10=Podar |first10=Mircea |last11=Banciu |first11=Horia Leonard |date=Dec 2015 |title=Contrasting taxonomic stratification of microbial communities in two hypersaline meromictic lakes |journal=The ISME Journal |language=en |volume=9 |issue=12 |pages=2642–2656 |doi=10.1038/ismej.2015.60 |pmid=25932617 |pmc=4817630 |issn=1751-7370}}</ref> Bacteria and archaea, for example, rely on alternative metabolic processes that do not depend on oxygen.<ref name=":7" /> These microorganisms play a critical role in nutrient cycling within salt lakes, as they break down organic material and release by-products that support other microbial communities.<ref name=":7" /> Due to limited biodiversity, the restrictive environment limits [[biodiversity]], allowing only specially adapted life forms to survive, which creates unique, highly specialized ecosystems that are distinct from [[Fresh water|freshwater]] or less saline habitats.<ref name=":7" />
== Conservation ==
Salt lakes have declined worldwide in recent years. The [[Aral Sea]], once of the largest saline lakes with a surface area of 67,499 km in 1960, diminished to approximately 6,990 km in 2016.<ref name=":2">{{Citation |last1=Sultonov |first1=Zafarjon |title=Shared Environmental Challenges: A Comparative Analysis of Saline Lakes and Inland Seas' Decline. |date=2024-01-30 |url=https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3900900/v1 |access-date=2024-11-16 |doi=10.21203/rs.3.rs-3900900/v1 |last2=Pant |first2=Hari K.|doi-access=free }}</ref> This trend is not limited to the Aral Sea; salt lakes around the world are shrinking due to excessive water diversion, dam construction, pollution, urbanization, and rising temperatures associated with climate change.<ref name=":2" /> The resulting declines cause severe disruptions to local ecosystems and biodiversity, degrades the environment, threatens economic stability, and displaces communities dependent on these lakes for resources and livelihood.<ref name=":2" />
In Utah, if the Great Salt Lake is not conserved, the state could face potential economic and public health crises, with consequences for air quality, local agriculture, and wildlife.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emergency measures needed to rescue Great Salt Lake from ongoing collapse |url=https://pws.byu.edu/great-salt-lake |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Plant & Wildlife Sciences |language=en}}</ref> According to "Utah’s Great Salt Lake Strike Team", in order to increase the lake's level within the next 30 years, average inflows must increase by 472,00 acre-feet per year. This is approximately 33% more than the amount that has been reaching the lake in recent years.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=A roadmap for rescuing the Great Salt Lake - @theU |url=https://attheu.utah.edu/science-technology/strike-team-updates-roadmap-for-rescuing-great-salt-lake-identifying-how-much-water-is-needed/ |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=attheu.utah.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[Water conservation]] is viewed as being the most cost-effective and practical strategy to save salt lakes like the Great Salt Lake.<ref name=":3" /> Implementing strong water management policies, improving community awareness, and ensuring the return of water flow to these lakes are additional ways that may restore ecological balance.<ref name=":3" /> Other proposed methods of maintaining lake levels include [[cloud seeding]] and the mitigation of dust transmission hotspots.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=Research universities and state agencies team up to offer solutions for Great Salt Lake |url=https://water.utah.gov/research-universities-and-state-agencies-team-up-to-offer-solutions-for-great-salt-lake/ |website=Utah Department of Natural Resources}}</ref>
== List ==
{{see also|List of saltwater lakes of China}}
{{see also|List of bodies of water by salinity}}
Note: Some of the following are also partly fresh and/or brackish water.
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Aral Sea]]
*[[Aralsor]]
*[[Aydar Lake]]
*[[Bakhtegan Lake]]
*[[Burlinskoye]]
*[[Caspian Sea]]
*[[Chott el Djerid]]
*[[Dabusun Lake]]
*[[Dead Sea]]
*[[Devil's Lake (North Dakota)|Devil's Lake]]
*[[Don Juan Pond]]
*[[Garabogazköl]]
*[[Goose Lake (Oregon-California)|Goose Lake]]
*[[Great Salt Lake]]
*[[Grevelingen]]
*[[Khyargas Nuur]]
*[[Laguna Colorada]]
*[[Laguna Verde (Bolivia)|Laguna Verde]]
*[[Lake Abert]]
*[[Lake Alakol]]
*[[Lake Assal (Djibouti)|Lake Assal]]
*[[Lake Balkhash]]
*[[Lake Barlee]]
*[[Lake Baskunchak]]
*[[Lake Bumbunga]]
*[[Lake Elton]]
*[[Lake Enriquillo]]
*[[Lake Eyre]]
*[[Lake Gairdner]]
*[[Lake Hillier]]
*[[Lake Karum]]
*[[Lake Mackay]]
*[[Lake Natron]]
*[[Lake Neusiedl]]
*[[Lake Paliastomi]]
*[[Lake Texoma]]
*[[Lake Torrens]]
*[[Lake Tuz]]
*[[Lake Tyrrell]]
*[[Lake Urmia]]
*[[Lake Van]]
*[[Lake Vanda]]
*[[Larnaca Salt Lake]]
*[[Little Manitou Lake]]
*[[Lonar Lake]]
*[[Maharloo Lake]]
*[[Mar Chiquita Lake (Córdoba)|Mar Chiquita Lake]]
*[[Mono Lake]]
*[[Nam Lake]]
*[[Pangong Lake]]
*[[Qarhan Playa]]
*[[Redberry Lake (Saskatchewan)|Redberry Lake]]
*[[Salton Sea]]
*[[Sambhar Salt Lake]]
*[[Sarygamysh Lake]]
*[[Sawa Lake]]
*[[Siling Lake]]
*[[South Hulsan Lake]]
*[[Sutton Salt Lake]]
*[[Uvs Lake]]
{{div col end}}
===Gallery===
<gallery>
File:Shiraz and areal.jpg|Astronaut's photo of [[Bakhtegan Lake|Bakhtegan]] and [[maharloo lake|Maharloo]] salt lakes near [[Shiraz]], [[Iran]]. Salt lakes are particularly common in Iran.
File:Берег Эльтон с высоты птичьего полёта.jpg|[[Lake Elton]], Russia
File:A118, Mono Lake, California, USA, 2004.jpg|[[Mono Lake]], United States
File:Salt transport by a camel train on Lake Assale (Karum) in Ethiopia.jpg|Salt transport by a [[camel train]] on [[Lake Karum]] in [[Ethiopia]].
</gallery>
==See also==
{{portal|Lakes}}
* {{annotated link|Brine pool}}
* {{annotated link|Halocline}}
* [[Halophile]] – organism that thrives in high salt concentrations
* {{annotated link|Hypersaline lake}}
* [[List of endorheic basins]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Salt lakes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Endorheic lakes]]
[[Category:Shrunken lakes]]
[[Category:Salts]]
| |||