The Great Salt Lake Is Hiding Something Big, Study Suggests
Gizmodo • • science
Key Points:
- An airborne electromagnetic survey by University of Utah scientists discovered a deep freshwater reservoir beneath the Great Salt Lake, extending much farther and deeper (10,000 to 13,000 feet) than previously expected.
- The freshwater system saturates sediments beneath the lake, possibly extending under the entire lakebed, challenging earlier assumptions that freshwater was limited to the lake’s periphery.
- This hidden freshwater could help combat dust pollution caused by the drying lakebed, as around 800 square miles of exposed lakebed have become a major dust source affecting nearby communities.
- Researchers emphasize the need to understand the groundwater system before extracting water, aiming to potentially use the freshwater to wet dust hotspots without disrupting the reservoir.
- The team plans to expand their survey to cover the entire 1,500-square-mile lake area to better assess the full extent and volume of the freshwater beneath the Great Salt Lake.
