Rare salt formations appear along the Great Salt Lake

Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
Updated 4:39 pm CST, Friday, January 10, 2020



Photo: AP
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In this undated photo provided by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, are rare salt formations that are being are being documented for the first time along the shores of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Rare salt formations have been documented for the first time on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and they could yield insights about salt structures found on Mars before they disappear for good. (Utah Division of Parks and Recreation via AP)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rare salt formations have been documented for the first time on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, and they could yield insights about salt structures found on Mars before they disappear for good.

They’re showing up now in part because water levels at the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi have been lowered by drought and water diversion, exposing more shoreline. It’s a story that’s playing out throughout the American West as a growing population puts more demand on scarce water resources.

Along the high-salinity waters Great Salt Lake, the expanded shoreline means there are more places where water can bubble up to the surface from warm, sulfate-rich springs. When it hits the cold air, a mineral called Glauber’s salt, or mirabilite, separates out.

“It has to be exposed to just the right conditions,” said park ranger Allison Thompson, who first saw them in October.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Rare-salt-formations-appear-along-the-Great-Salt-14965774.php