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How large can desiccation polygons and cracks become on drought-stricken playas?
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On drought-stricken playas, prolonged periods of intense drying can cause significant sediment contraction, leading to the formation of massive surface features.
Under these extreme conditions, giant desiccation polygons can reach sizes as large as 90 metres across. Additionally, the individual cracks associated with these networks have been observed to measure more than one metre in width and can extend to depths of 15 metres.1