![]() These areas are usually composed of salt left over after the evaporation of a body of water, or they can be extensive fields of lava flows covered in salt. The salt flats, also known as salars, are vast flat areas covered with salt, or halite. Below the caliche is an underlying layer of gypsum or rock salt that formed as a result of the dissolved minerals in the evaporated body of water. Beneath the layers of sediment, you often have a thick layer of caliche that can be up to several meters thick.Ĭaliche is a cement-like material made of calcium carbonate and is often a major component of the karst topography found in many desert areas. Generally, these layers consist of mineral-rich sediment caused by the waters of a past sea or lake. Depending on the region, the underlying layers of salt flats can vary greatly. ![]() The term “salt flats” generally refers to areas with a large presence of salt, usually located in salt deserts or in areas where an inland sea has evaporated. In the Salar de Uyuni, the water comes from precipitation that falls on the surrounding mountains, and enters the salt flat through surface and subsurface paths, leading to the salinization and the formation of a salt crust at the surface. In many salt flats, the shallow groundwater levels and highly saline water precondition the subsurface and are the primary cause of the formation of the large saltpan. Some salt flats, such as the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, United States, do not have any underground water, but many other salt flats, such as the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, do have varying levels of underground water. The answer to whether or not the salt flats have water underneath depends on which salt flat you are discussing. Where did the water of the Bonneville Flood come from? Do the salt flats have water underneath?.Do the salt flats have water underneath?. ![]()
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