Satellite Photo of the Great Salt Lake as it looked in 2003

Great Salt Lake is an endorheic saline lake in northern Utah, much saltier than the ocean. It is the remnant of the prehistoric pluvial Lake Bonneville in the Great Basin. Download high resolution version (996x976, 247 KB)Great Salt Lake from German Wikipedia Description: Great Salt Lake, Utah, to the right (east) are the Wasatch Mountains, to the lower right is Salt Lake City, Utah. ... Download high resolution version (996x976, 247 KB)Great Salt Lake from German Wikipedia Description: Great Salt Lake, Utah, to the right (east) are the Wasatch Mountains, to the lower right is Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The shores of Lake Hart, an endorheic desert lake in South Australia In geography, an endorheic basin is a watershed from which there is no outflow of water (either on the surface as rivers, or underground by flow or diffusion through rock or permeable material). ... For other meanings of the word salt see table salt or salt (disambiguation). ... A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. ... State nickname: Beehive State Other U.S. States Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. ... Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... A pluvial lake is a lake which experiences significant increase in depth and extent as a result of increased precipitation and reduced evaporation. ... Butte in Great Salt Lake Desert Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North Americas Great Basin region. ... The Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States, commonly defined as the contiguous watershed region, roughly between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, that has no natural outlet to the sea. ...

Geography

Salt Lake City and its suburbs are located east of the lake, between the lake and the Wasatch Mountains, but land around the north and west shores are almost uninhabited. The Great Salt Lake Salt Flats lie to the west, and the Oquirrh Mountains rise to the south. Aerial view of Temple Square of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... The Wasatch Range (also seen as Wasatch Mountains and Wahsatch Range) is a mountain range that stretches from southern Idaho and Wyoming south through central Utah in the Western United States. ... The playa and shore of Lake Hart, an endorheic desert lake in South Australia An alkali flat (known in US and Mexico as a playa) is a dry lakebed, generally the shore of, or remnant of, an endorheic lake. ... Categories: US geography stubs | Mountain ranges of North America | Utah geography ...

The Great Salt Lake is fed by three major rivers and several minor streams. The Bear River starts in the Uinta Mountains and flows in to the northeast arm of the lake. The Weber River also starts in the Uinta Mountains and flows into east edge of the lake. The Jordan River starts at freshwater Utah Lake and flows into the southeast corner of the lake. A railroad line—the Lucin Cutoff—runs across the lake, crossing the southern end of Promontory Peninsula. The mostly-solid causeway supporting the railway divides the lake into three portions: northeast arm, northwest arm and southern. Since there is no river flowing directly into the northeast arm (also called "Gunnison Bay"), it is now noticeably saltier than the rest of the lake. The salinity also causes noticeably different colors from satellite photos. For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ... The Bear River is a river, approximately 350 mi (563 km) long in southwestern Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northern United States. ... The Uinta Mountains are a high chain of mountains in northeastern Utah in the United States. ... The Jordan River is a river in Utah in the United States. ... Utah Lake, located in Utah Lake State Park, Utah, is the largest fresh-water lake in the state at 96,600 acres (390 km²). The lake dominates Utah Valley, with major cities like Provo and Orem hemmed between the lakes eastern shore and the Wasatch Mountains. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Promontory Point is a locale in southern Box Elder County, Utah, centered approximately at 41°1320N, 112°2438W, with an elevation of 1285 meters (4217 feet) above sea level. ... A peninsula is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body that is surrounded by water on three sides. ... For other uses, please see Satellite (disambiguation) A satellite is an object that orbits another object (known as its primary). ...

The only animals that live in the lake are tiny brine shrimp, the eggs of which are harvested in quantity. They hatch easily and are fed to prawns in Asia and also are sold as a novelty as "Sea-Monkeys." Many water birds feed on the brine shrimp and insects in the wetlands near the lake. Species Artemia franciscana Artemia gracilis Artemia monica Artemia parartemia Artemia parthenogenetica Artemia persimilis Artemia salina Artemia sinica Artemia tunesiana Artemia urmiana Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a primitive type of aquatic crustacean. ... Prawns are edible, shrimp-like crustaceans. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... External link The Official Sea Monkey Website What are they? Categories: Animal stubs ...

Water level and islands

Water levels have been recorded since 1843, averaging about 4200 ft (1280 m) above sea level. Since the Great Salt Lake is a shallow lake with gently sloping shores around all edges except on the south side, small variations in the water level can greatly affect the extent of the shoreline. During low levels, the lake is difficult to approach because it is fringed by mud flats. For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean of a set of numbers is the sum of all the members of the set divided by the number of items in the set. ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ...

Because the water level is variable, it can rise dramatically in wet years and fall during drought years. The water level is also affected by the amount of water flow diverted for agricultural and urban uses. The Jordan and Weber rivers are particularly diverted for other uses. In the 1880s Grove Karl Gilbert predicted that the lake — then in the middle of many years of recession — would virtually disappear except for a small remnant between the islands. Record high levels in the 1980s caused massive property damage for owners on the eastern side, and started to erode the base of Interstate 80. In response, the state built pumps on the western side of the lake to pump dangerously high water out into the west desert, but as of 2004 these pumps are dry and miles away from the lake's shore. A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ... Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918) was an American geologist. ... Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Interstate 80 as seen from an overpass in Davis, California Interstate 80 is the second-longest interstate highway in the United States. ...

The three largest islands  (http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/online/PI-39/pi39pg05.htm) are Antelope, Stansbury and Fremont Islands, respectively. Antelope and Fremont Islands are extensions of the Oquirrh mountain range. Stansbury Island and other smaller islands are extensions of the Stansbury mountain range. The lake is deepest in the area between these island chains, about 35 ft (10.7 m) deep at the 4200 ft level. The lake averages 13 ft (4 m) deep at the same level. When the water levels are low (as they were in late 2004 averaging under 4195 ft), Antelope island becomes connected to the shore as a peninsula, as do some of the other islands. In fact, "Stansbury Island" remains a peninsula unless the water level rises above average. At high levels, some of the smaller islands become completely submerged. Categories: US geography stubs | Mountain ranges of North America | Utah geography ... The most general definition of mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Commerce

Shallow artificial ponds at the edge of the lake are used to produce salt, magnesium and other minerals for commercial sale. For other meanings of the word salt see table salt or salt (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2 (IIA), 3, s Density, Hardness 1738 kg/m³, 2. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ...

There is a problem with pollution of the lake by industrial and urban effluent. Also, especially when the waters are low, decay of insects and other wildlife give the shore of the lake a distinctive odor, which may keep some tourists from coming near the lake. Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ...

A resort called Saltair has been operated on the southern shore of the lake. Rising and lowering water levels have affected Saltair (http://historytogo.utah.gov/saltair.html), and it has burned twice.

The Great Salt Lake is the location for Robert Smithson's piece of land art, Spiral Jetty (1970). Robert Smithson (1938 - 1973) was an American artist famous for his land art. ... Land art or earth art is a form of art which came to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s primarily concerned with the natural environment. ... Spiral Jetty, considered to be the masterpiece of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is the name of an earthwork sculpture built in 1970. ...

Reference

• Morgan, Dale L. (1947). The Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 0874804787

External links

• Science at the Great Salt Lake (http://www.westminstercollege.edu/gsl): Westminster College's student research at the lake.
• Earth Observatory images of the Great Salt Lake (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16427)
• Great Salt Lake Basin Hydrologic Observatory (http://greatsaltlake.utah.edu/description/greatsaltlake/)
• Ogden Convention and Visitor's Bureau Great Salt Lake facts (http://www.ogdencvb.org/Davis/lake.html)
• CNN's travel story about the Great Salt Lake (http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/11/05/great.salt.lake.ap/)