How does a playa lake turn into a dry playa during drier months?

A playa lake transitions into a dry playa through the processes of evaporation and infiltration. Located in arid or semiarid interior desert basins, these depressions periodically collect water from surface runoff or groundwater flow.12

During drier months, the water in the basin either evaporates into the atmosphere or slowly filtrates into the ground. As the ponded water disappears, it leaves behind deposits of sand, silt, clay, and salts that were concentrated during the flooded state. The remaining muds are then subject to drying and contraction, which can lead to the formation of desiccation cracks and polygonal networks of salt wedges. This cycle of periodic inundation and subsequent drying is essential for maintaining the near-perfect flatness characteristic of these landforms.123