The Great Salt Lake In Utah is the largest salt lake in the United States.
Water from freshwater streams flows into the Great Salt Lake, but it never flows back out.
When it evaporates, salt (sodium chloride) and other minerals are left behind, making the water salty.
The amount of salt in the lake varies, depending on how much water is present.
The southern section contains 5 to 14 percent salt and the northern section about 16 to 27 percent salt. In comparison, ocean water is about 3.5 percent salt.
If you go swimming in the lake, you’ll float quite easily.
Don’t plan on going fishing, though; fish can’t survive in such salty conditions, although brine shrimp live there.
In dry weather the lake can shrink in size because much of the water evaporates.
On average, the Great Salt Lake is about 75 miles (121 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) wide.
Geologists believe that the Great Salt Lake was once part of a huge ancient freshwater lake they call Lake Bonneville.
Today, at the international speedway on the Bonneville Salt Flats, part of the dried-up bed of that ancient lake, race cars have set world speed records, with some vehicles exceeding 600 miles per hour (966 km/hr).
Related Posts
-
Why Did the Mormons Settle In Utah and When Did Brigham Young Build a Settlement In Great Salt Lake City?
Back in New York in 1830, a man named Joseph Smith established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the next 20 years, the church spread to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois,…
-
Why Are Tears Salty, Where Does the Salt In Tears Come From, and Is Pee Salty?
Tears contain a variety of different salts, most of which probably come from the blood and, ultimately, from the diet. Salt in food is absorbed by the intestines and enters the bloodstream. The…
-
What Is the Largest Lake In Africa and Where Are Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika Located?
Lake Victoria, in the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, is the largest lake in Africa and the world's second largest freshwater lake, after Lake Superior on the U.S. Canadian border. Lake Victoria…
-
How Did Sea Gulls Save Salt Lake City Utah?
In the summer of 1844, the Mormon people of Salt Lake City, Utah, thought their troubles were over. They had left the East to come out to the West, where they could practice…
-
Why Is the Seagull the State Bird of Utah and How Did the Miracle of the Gulls Save Utah?
Back in 1848, Utah was invaded by millions of Rocky Mountain crickets that began destroying crops and threatening the people with starvation. Seemingly out of nowhere, flocks of California gulls appeared and began…
-
Why Is Utah Called the Beehive State and How Did Utah Get Its Nickname?
Utahans selected the beehive as their official state emblem because honeybees represent the virtues of industry and perseverance. A drawing of a beehive appears on its state flag and state seal, as well…
