saline flat
Quick Summary
A salt flat is a flat, salt-encrusted area formed by the evaporation of a former body of water. These landforms are also known as playas, which are characterized by their extreme flatness, with slopes typically less than 0.2 meters per kilometer.12
Playas form in arid and semi-arid regions within interior desert basins or near coasts. They are periodically covered by water, which then evaporates, leaving behind deposits of salt, sand, and mud. Saline playas can have various local names, including salt marsh, salada, salar, salt pan, or salina. Sabkhas are a type of saline flat found along coastlines, characterized by soft, impermeable floors due to periodic flooding and evaporation, leading to deposits of gypsum, calcite, and aragonite.23
These landforms are sensitive to climatic changes and can be influenced by factors such as tectonic activity, wind deflation, and volcanic events.2
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