Rare Salt Formations At The Great Salt Lake Were Recently Discovered In Utah
Park rangers at the Great Salt Lake State Park and local geologists were pretty excited a few months ago when they discovered some unusual mounds made of salt along the shores of the lake. The mounds are very rare, and they might even give us some clues about the surface of Mars! Take a look at these mirabilite mounds!
You'll find the Great Salt Lake State Park and Marina on the south end of the lake, near Magna. This part of the lake is also where some rare salt mounds were found in January, 2020.
The salt most commonly found in the Great Salt Lake is sodium chloride, aka basic table salt. The salt that makes up these mounds is hydrated sodium sulfate, aka mirabilite, or Glauber's salt, shown here.
The mirabilite comes from underground springs along the shoreline of the lake. When the springs are above the water level and the air is cold, the salt comes to the surface and begins to form the unusual mounds you see here.
Researchers believe that multiple mounds form because as one grows, it cuts off its water supply from its underground spring. The spring finds itself another outlet a few feet away, and the mirabilite starts to accumulate there.
The mounds are considered fairly rare because this part of the lake is often underwater. This winter, the lake had receded enough to allow the salt mounds to form. In January, 2020, four mounds formed on the beach just north of the marina.
The mounds grew up to three feet tall, and several yards wide. As the temperature warms, the mirabilite disintegrates into a white, powdery substance. When the water of the lake rises, the mounds are submerged.
The salt mounds may or may not be back next year. In the meantime, researchers got a good chance to explore them, and they may even have some connections to Mars!
Similar mounds have been seen on Mars, which may have some salt water springs and sulfates on its surface. These mounds may give scientists clues about the geologic processes on the planet.
With the recent warmer weather, these mounds are likely gone by now. Keep an eye out for them next year – if conditions are just right, maybe we’ll see them again!
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
