Which names are used for playas in Central Asia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran?

In the context of geology, the term playa refers to a flat-bottomed depression in an arid or semiarid region that periodically collects water, which then evaporates or infiltrates the ground, leaving behind deposits of salt, sand, and mud.1

Due to the variety of local naming conventions, these landforms are known by different terms depending on the geographic region:

• Central Asia: takyr1
• Saudi Arabia: sabkha1
• Iran: kavir1

These features are characterized by their extreme flatness and are typically found in the central basins of desert plains where interior drainage prevents water from reaching the sea.1