Great Salt Lake
Briny Utah landmark
Great Salt Lake is a large saltwater lake in northwestern Utah, the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere.
Its high salinity—several times saltier than the ocean—makes swimmers exceptionally buoyant and supports unique ecosystems including brine shrimp and migratory birds.
The lake has no outlet, so minerals accumulate as water evaporates.
Its shoreline fluctuates dramatically with drought and water diversion: The Great Salt Lake has shrunk to historic lows.
Water saturated with sodium
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- hypersalineExcessively high salt concentration
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
- buoyancyFluid's upward resistance
flotation · evaporation · crystallization · halite · brackish · desalination · mineral deposits · sodium chloride
Tiny saline-water crustacean
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- migratory birdsSpecies traveling between seasonal habitats
- wetlandsWater-saturated terrain
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
biodiversity · phytoplankton · pelicans · avocets · food web · invertebrates · waterfowl · flyway
Prolonged water scarcity
- shrinkageDecrease in size
- dust stormsWindblown particulate weather events
- arsenicToxic metalloid element
- water diversionRedirecting flow elsewhere
climate change · conservation · toxic dust · air quality · water rights · restoration · advocacy · agricultural runoff
Concave water receptacle
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- causewayRaised road over water
- Jordan RiverMiddle Eastern waterway ending saltily
- inflowArriving stream or current
Spectacular geological or biological phenomenon
- tourist attractionSite visitors seek out
- sightseeingVisiting places of interest
- destinationIntended arrival point
- scenicOffering beautiful views
panorama · viewpoint · state park · visitor center · hiking · sunset views · photography · swimming
brine
Water saturated with sodium
- saltwaterOcean water, chemically speaking
- hypersalineExcessively high salt concentration
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
buoyancy · flotation · evaporation · crystallization · halite · brackish · desalination · mineral deposits · sodium chloride · density
brine shrimp
Tiny saline-water crustacean
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- migratory birdsSpecies traveling between seasonal habitats
- wetlandsWater-saturated terrain
habitat · biodiversity · phytoplankton · pelicans · avocets · food web · invertebrates · waterfowl · flyway · nesting
drought
Prolonged water scarcity
- shrinkageDecrease in size
- dust stormsWindblown particulate weather events
- arsenicToxic metalloid element
water diversion · climate change · conservation · toxic dust · air quality · water rights · restoration · advocacy · agricultural runoff
basin
Concave water receptacle
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- causewayRaised road over water
- Jordan RiverMiddle Eastern waterway ending saltily
natural wonder
Spectacular geological or biological phenomenon
- tourist attractionSite visitors seek out
- sightseeingVisiting places of interest
- destinationIntended arrival point
scenic · panorama · viewpoint · state park · visitor center · hiking · sunset views · photography · swimming · iconic
- Utah WatersJordan River, Virgin River, Rockport
- Arid Waterways
- Basin and RangeWhite Mountains, Death Valley, graben, horst, bajada
- Northern UtahOgden, Layton, Roy, Farmington, Syracuse
- Western UtahStockton, Ophir, Vernon, Clover
- lakesSuperior, Erie, Michigan, Ontario, Huron
Great Salt Lakefreshwater lake
Inland unsalted water body
Lake Superior · Lake Michigan · Lake Tahoe · Lake Baikal · Lake Victoria