thumb|One of two [[salt lakes in the northern end of the Danakil Depression known as Lake Karum]]

A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). In some cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water; such lakes can also be termed hypersaline lake, and may also be pink lakes on account of their color. An alkalic salt lake that has a high content of carbonate is sometimes termed a soda lake.

Salt lakes are classified according to salinity levels. The formation of these lakes is influenced by processes such as evaporation and deposition. Salt lakes face serious conservation challenges due to climate change, pollution and water diversion.

Classification

The primary method of classification for salt lakes involves assessing the chemical composition of the water within the lakes, specifically its salinity, pH, and the dominant ions present. which allows for the presence of freshwater species along with some salt-tolerant aquatic organisms.

Mesosaline

Mesosaline lakes have a salinity level ranging from 20 to 50 g/L. An example of a mesosaline lake is Redberry Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. or 50 g/L, thumb|[[Lake Hillier shoreline with microorganisms including Dunaliella salina, red algae which cause the salt content in the lake to create a red dye]]

Formation

Salt lakes form through complex chemical, geological, and biological processes, influenced by environmental conditions like high evaporation rates and restricted water outflow. As water carrying dissolved minerals (sodium, potassium, and magnesium) enters these basins, it gradually evaporates, concentrating these minerals until they precipitate as salt deposits. Then, specific ions interact under controlled temperatures, which leads to solid-solution formation and salt crystal deposition within the lake bed. In dry regions, water loss during warmer seasons concentrates the lake's salts.

Biodiversity

thumb|239x239px|Salt Lake in [[Larnaca|Larnaca, Cyprus]]

Salt lakes host a diverse range of animals, despite high levels of salinity acting as significant environmental constraints. Increased salinity worsens oxygen levels and thermal conditions, raising the water's density and viscosity, which demands greater energy for animal movement. Common salt lake invertebrates include various parasites, with around 85 parasite species found in saline waters, including crustaceans and monogeneans. The Artemia species also serves as an intermediate host for helminth parasites that affect migratory water birds such as flamingos, grebes, gulls, shorebirds, and ducks. Fish species vary by lake; for instance, the Salton Sea is home to species such as carp, striped mullet, humpback sucker, and rainbow trout. In these lakes, high rates of evaporation often concentrate salts, leading to denser, saltier water sinking to the lake's bottom, while fresher water remains nearer the surface. This separation eventually influenced the lake's chemistry, supporting only specialized microbial life adapted to extreme environments with high salinity and low oxygen levels. The restricted vertical mixing limits nutrient cycling, creating a favorable ecosystem for halophiles (salt-loving organisms) that rely on these saline conditions for stability and balance. Bacteria and archaea, for example, rely on alternative metabolic processes that do not depend on oxygen. This trend is not limited to the Aral Sea; salt lakes around the world are shrinking due to excessive water diversion, dam construction, pollution, urbanization, and rising temperatures associated with climate change. According to "Utah's Great Salt Lake Strike Team", in order to increase the lake's level within the next 30 years, average inflows must increase by 471,000 acre-feet per year. This is approximately 33% more than the amount that has been reaching the lake in recent years.

Water conservation is viewed as being the most cost-effective and practical strategy to save salt lakes like the Great Salt Lake.

List

Note: Some of the following are also partly fresh and/or brackish water.

  • Aral Sea
  • Aralsor
  • Aydar Lake
  • Bakhtegan Lake
  • Burlinskoye
  • Caspian Sea
  • Chott el Djerid
  • Dabusun Lake
  • Dead Sea
  • Devil's Lake
  • Don Juan Pond
  • Garabogazköl
  • Goose Lake
  • Great Salt Lake
  • Grevelingen
  • Khyargas Nuur
  • Laguna Colorada
  • Laguna Verde
  • Lake Abert
  • Lake Alakol
  • Lake Assal
  • Lake Balkhash
  • Lake Barlee
  • Lake Baskunchak
  • Lake Bumbunga
  • Lake Elton
  • Lake Enriquillo
  • Lake Eyre
  • Lake Gairdner
  • Lake Hillier
  • Lake Karum
  • Lake Mackay
  • Lake Natron
  • Lake Neusiedl
  • Lake Paliastomi
  • Lake Texoma
  • Lake Torrens
  • Lake Tuz
  • Lake Tyrrell
  • Lake Urmia
  • Lake Van
  • Lake Vanda
  • Larnaca Salt Lake
  • Little Manitou Lake
  • Lonar Lake
  • Maharloo Lake
  • Mar Chiquita Lake
  • Mono Lake
  • Nam Lake
  • Pangong Lake
  • Qarhan Playa
  • Redberry Lake
  • Salton Sea
  • Sambhar Salt Lake
  • Sarygamysh Lake
  • Sawa Lake
  • Siling Lake
  • South Hulsan Lake
  • Sutton Salt Lake
  • Uvs Lake

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File:Shiraz and areal.jpg|Astronaut's photo of Bakhtegan and Maharloo salt lakes near Shiraz, Iran. Salt lakes are particularly common in Iran.

File:Берег Эльтон с высоты птичьего полёта.jpg|Lake Elton, Russia

File:A118, Mono Lake, California, USA, 2004.jpg|Mono Lake, United States

File:Salt transport by a camel train on Lake Assale (Karum) in Ethiopia.jpg|Salt transport by a camel train on Lake Karum in Ethiopia.

</gallery>

See also

  • Halophile – organism that thrives in high salt concentrations
  • List of endorheic basins

References