Scientists Just Found a Massive Freshwater Reservoir Hidden Beneath the Great Salt Lake
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- The Great Salt Lake has shrunk to less than half its size since 1986, exposing lakebed areas and increasing toxic dust exposure for nearby Salt Lake City.
- Reed-filled mounds appearing on the dried lakebed of Farmington Bay indicate the presence of a large freshwater groundwater reservoir beneath the hypersaline lake.
- Aerial electromagnetic surveys by University of Utah geophysicists revealed freshwater extending up to four kilometers deep beneath Farmington Bay, confirming a significant subterranean reservoir.
- Researchers caution that understanding the groundwater's extent and effects is crucial before any extraction, particularly for mitigating dust without harming the freshwater system.
- While this discovery offers hope, further surveys are needed to determine if similar freshwater reservoirs exist throughout the Great Salt Lake.
