What are sabkhas along the Persian Gulf coast?

Along the coast of the Persian Gulf, sabkhas are extensive coastal salt flats or salt-crusted depressions.12

These features are characterized by soft, poorly cemented, and impermeable floors resulting from periodic flooding and intense evaporation. In the Persian Gulf region, high water temperatures and salinities facilitate the chemical precipitation of sodium chloride and calcium sulfate, which contribute to the formation of these flats.12

Typically bordered by sand dunes, sabkhas are often considered remnants of former small sea inlets, functioning similarly to basins where evaporites accumulated in the geological past. The concentration of seawater and the capillary discharge of groundwater within these areas lead to the deposition of minerals such as gypsum, calcite, and aragonite.1