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In Cooperation With
Welcomes You To The El Mirage Dry Lake Bed
A salt pan forms by evaporation of a water pool such as a lake or pond. This happens in climates where the rate of water evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation, that is, in a desert. Like here at El Mirage. If the water cannot drain into the ground, it remains on the surface until it evaporates, leaving behind minerals precipitated from the salt ions dissolved in the water. Over thousands of years, the minerals accumulate on the surface. These minerals reflect the Sun's rays and often appear as white areas. Salt pans can be dangerous. The crust of salt can conceal a quagmire of mud that can engulf a person or even a vehicle.
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A salt pan forms by evaporation of a water pool such as a lake or pond. This happens in climates where the rate of water evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation, that is, in a desert. If the water cannot drain into the ground, it remains on the surface until it evaporates, leaving behind minerals precipitated from the salt ions dissolved in the water. Over thousands of years, the minerals accumulate on the surface. These minerals reflect the Sun's rays and often appear as white areas. Salt pans can be dangerous. The crust of salt can conceal a quagmire of mud that can engulf a vehicle. This is one of the many reasons why El Mirage Dry Lake Bed is closed to all users when it is wet or muddy. The official definition of a Playa is a discharging intracontinental basin with a negative water balance, remaining dry 75% of the year, and often associated with evaporites.
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To log a find on this cache, you must E-MAIL me the correct answers. If any of your answers are wrong, I will email you and let you know.
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1. Put "El Mirage Dry Lake Bed - Salt Pan" in the subject line of your email.
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2. What language does the word Playa come from?
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3. At the above coordinates, describe the color and texture of the playa.
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4. Of the three sulphates mentioned above, which do you think is the most prevalent in the middle of the lake bed?
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5. Are there any shrubs/plants/trees at the above coordinates? Why or why not?
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6. Optional: Post a picture of you at El Mirage.
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Works Cited
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/mirage.html
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_pan_(geology)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_lake/
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http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/salt_pan.aspx
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