University of Utah researchers discover freshwater reservoir under Great Salt Lake
KSL.com • • science
Key Points:
- Geophysicists at the University of Utah used airborne electromagnetic surveys to discover a deep freshwater reservoir beneath Farmington Bay in the Great Salt Lake, located under the lake's hypersaline surface at depths of 10,000 to 13,000 feet.
- This reservoir consists of porous rock spaces saturated with fresh water, which could potentially be pumped to mitigate dust pollution from the lake's dried areas and possibly used for irrigation.
- The discovery was prompted by unusual phragmites mounds on the dried lakebed that require significant fresh water, suggesting an underground source.
- Researchers emphasize the need for further studies to assess the sustainability and safety of extracting this groundwater to reduce toxic dust without harming the freshwater system.
- Expanding airborne electromagnetic surveys across the entire Great Salt Lake and other Utah regions could improve water-resource planning and reveal additional freshwater reserves hidden beneath desert areas.
