152
C. N. Wold· G. J. Schwartz· C. Morrill
tralia. Saline mudflats may be isolated or occur along the margins of saline lakes
and saline pans. The amount of inflow to a saline lake can vary by large amounts
annually. If inflow is decreased or stops for a number of years, shallower saline
lakes may dry up to become saline pans or saline mud flats (Smoot and Lowenstein 1991).
2.2
Marginal Marine Evaporites
Marginal marine settings where evaporites form may be divided into two
groups, salinas and sabkhas (Fig. 1D). Evaporites form subaqueously in salinas
and in soils above the water table in sabkhas. One of the best examples of a modern salina is Lake MacLeod (Logan 1987) on the coast of western Australia. Large
regions along the coast of the United Arab Emirates and in Abu Dhabi are covered by sabkhas (Kinsman 1969; Warren and Kendall 1985). Salinas and sabkhas
form at or below sea level and their primary source of water is the ocean. They
may be separated from the sea by a permeable barrier or form on the coastal
plain just above the tidal zone, however they are not affected by tidal changes.
Salinas may form in tectonic depressions or behind coastal barriers. Sabkhas are
thinner deposits that are more likely to be flooded or subsequently eroded.
Much greater volumes of salt are likely to accumulate and be preserved in salinas
than in sabkhas (Handford 1991).
2.3
Solar Salt Operations
Solar salt operations (Fig. 2) are man-made facilities that use solar radiation to
evaporite seawater or naturally occurring brines. Their purpose is to concentrate the brine for commercial extraction of various salts. The present compilation does not include facilities where the brine is heated artificially to extract
salt. Solar salt operations are principally used to extract halite (rock salt) from
seawater for human and animal consumption.
The distribution of 659 solar salt operations that existed prior to and during
1969, are shown in Fig. 2. The solar salt operations do not extend as far towards
the poles as the naturally occurring evaporites (Fig. 1A). There is a greater concentration of solar salt operations near the equator than the naturally-occurring
evaporites. This is because humans are able to extract salt from seawater during
seasonally dry months of the year. Naturally occurring evaporites (Fig. 1A) do
not form at these tropical latitudes along coastlines, because they would probably be washed away during the rainy months.
C. N. Wold· G. J. Schwartz· C. Morrill
tralia. Saline mudflats may be isolated or occur along the margins of saline lakes
and saline pans. The amount of inflow to a saline lake can vary by large amounts
annually. If inflow is decreased or stops for a number of years, shallower saline
lakes may dry up to become saline pans or saline mud flats (Smoot and Lowenstein 1991).
2.2
Marginal Marine Evaporites
Marginal marine settings where evaporites form may be divided into two
groups, salinas and sabkhas (Fig. 1D). Evaporites form subaqueously in salinas
and in soils above the water table in sabkhas. One of the best examples of a modern salina is Lake MacLeod (Logan 1987) on the coast of western Australia. Large
regions along the coast of the United Arab Emirates and in Abu Dhabi are covered by sabkhas (Kinsman 1969; Warren and Kendall 1985). Salinas and sabkhas
form at or below sea level and their primary source of water is the ocean. They
may be separated from the sea by a permeable barrier or form on the coastal
plain just above the tidal zone, however they are not affected by tidal changes.
Salinas may form in tectonic depressions or behind coastal barriers. Sabkhas are
thinner deposits that are more likely to be flooded or subsequently eroded.
Much greater volumes of salt are likely to accumulate and be preserved in salinas
than in sabkhas (Handford 1991).
2.3
Solar Salt Operations
Solar salt operations (Fig. 2) are man-made facilities that use solar radiation to
evaporite seawater or naturally occurring brines. Their purpose is to concentrate the brine for commercial extraction of various salts. The present compilation does not include facilities where the brine is heated artificially to extract
salt. Solar salt operations are principally used to extract halite (rock salt) from
seawater for human and animal consumption.
The distribution of 659 solar salt operations that existed prior to and during
1969, are shown in Fig. 2. The solar salt operations do not extend as far towards
the poles as the naturally occurring evaporites (Fig. 1A). There is a greater concentration of solar salt operations near the equator than the naturally-occurring
evaporites. This is because humans are able to extract salt from seawater during
seasonally dry months of the year. Naturally occurring evaporites (Fig. 1A) do
not form at these tropical latitudes along coastlines, because they would probably be washed away during the rainy months.