Focus on Sedimentary Environments

A large saline lake

The Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA

	The Lake at Great Salt Lake State Park, on the SE shore

	The beach at Great Salt Lake State Park, on the SE shore

Lake depth and size

From the images above, what conclusions can you draw about the lake depth, and the slope of its floor?

Approximate facts and figures on the Great Salt Lake:

• length 120 km
• width 55 km
• altitude 1280 m
• area 4185 km² (another source quotes 6475 km²)
• salinity 10 to 25 per cent

Using your answer to the first question, explain why the figures for the size of the lake are highly variable.

How does the salinity of the Great Salt Lake compare with normal marine salinity? Explain your answer.

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