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#REDIRECT [[Salt lake {geography)]]
{{otheruses2|Salt Lake}}
A '''salt lake''' or '''saline lake''' is a landlocked body of [[water]] which has a concentration of [[salt]]s (mostly [[sodium chloride]]) and other minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least 3,000 [[milligram]]s of [[salt]] per [[liter]]). In many cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water.
==Formation==
Salt lakes form when the water flowing into the lake, containing salt or minerals, cannot leave because the lake is [[endorheic]] or [[terminal lake|terminal]]. The water then evaporates, leaving behind any dissolved salts and thus increasing its [[salinity]], making a salt lake an excellent place for salt production.
High salinity will also lead to a unique flora and fauna in the lake in question.
Salt lakes artificially built for this purpose are called [[Salt pan (evaporation)|salt pans]].
==When the water is gone==
[[Image:Saltph26.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Bonneville Salt Flats]].]]
If the amount of water flowing into a lake is less than the amount evaporated, the lake will eventually disappear and leave a [[salt flat]] or [[playa]] (sometimes also referred to as [[salt pan (geology)|salt pan]]).
==Records==
[[Image:Caspian_Sea_from_orbit.jpg|thumb|left|Satellite image of the [[Caspian Sea]].]]
In order, the four largest salt lakes in the world are the [[Caspian Sea]], the [[Aral Sea]], [[Lake Balkhash]] and [[Great Salt Lake]], which is also the largest in the [[Western Hemisphere]]. The salt lake with the highest [[elevation]] is [[Namtso]], and the one with the lowest elevation is the [[Dead Sea]], which is also the lowest exposed point on the [[Earth|Earth's surface]].
==References==
* [http://www.esf.edu/efb/schulz/Limnology/HighConductivity.html Lecture notes on salt lakes]
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[[zh:鹹水湖]]
[[Category:Lakes]]
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