Great Salt Lake Dust
The Great Salt Lake, one of the most iconic natural features of the American West, is facing a dire situation due to a combination of increasing consumptive water use, persistent drought, and diversions, resulting in the lowest lake levels seen in the past 160 years. Since a high stage that occurred around the mid 1980’s, the lake area has shrunk by ~50%, exposing vast areas of lakebed to potential erosion and entrainment in the atmosphere. Dusts from the exposed lakebed can have negative effects on regional air quality during transport and on ecosystem health in depositional regions. The composition of the GSL sediment is of high concern due to the entrainment of fine particles (<10 µm) that cause respiratory distress. Although fine particulate concentrations are monitored at multiple locations around GSL, what is not known is the composition of this material and whether it may poses risks to humans or ecosystems. Given that the GSL is the terminal basin for a large population, industry, mining, and agriculture, the composition of the sediments is concerning.
We are currently working on a multi-PI project to examine how much dust is deflating from the playa and what it is composed of. Stay tuned!
We are currently working on a multi-PI project to examine how much dust is deflating from the playa and what it is composed of. Stay tuned!
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Ph.D. candidates Molly Blakowski (Watershed Sciences) and Jeffrey Perala-Dewey (Chemistry), working on this project, have been featured in this very cool video
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Publications
... in progress!
... in progress!