Topic: Environment

Scientists from the University of Utah used special surveys to discover a huge freshwater reservoir hiding under the Great Salt Lake. This is the first time this has been found beneath the lake's salty surface.

The team, led by Michael Zhdanov, used airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys to map geologic formations below Farmington Bay and Antelope Island along the lake's southeastern edge. They found that freshwater fills sediments beneath the lake's highly salty surface, reaching depths of 3 to 4 kilometers or about 10,000 to 13,000 feet.

The discovery was made possible by unusual mounds covered in dense phragmites reeds that emerged under pressure in parts of the exposed lakebed in Farmington Bay. The team also mapped how far the freshwater extends beneath Farmington Bay and estimated how deep the water-saturated sediments go by identifying the underlying basement structure.

This finding is part of a broader research initiative led by the University of Utah's Department of Geology & Geophysics and funded by the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The goal is to better understand groundwater beneath the Great Salt Lake, the largest terminal lake in the Western Hemisphere.

Why It Matters

This discovery matters because it could help reduce toxic dust pollution affecting nearby communities. Freshwater could be used safely to wet dust hotspots and douse them without perturbing the freshwater system too much.

Key Facts

• A massive freshwater reservoir was found under the Great Salt Lake, reaching depths of 3 to 4 kilometers or about 10,000 to 13,000 feet.
• The discovery was made possible by unusual mounds covered in dense phragmites reeds that emerged under pressure in parts of the exposed lakebed in Farmington Bay.
• This finding is part of a broader research initiative led by the University of Utah's Department of Geology & Geophysics and funded by the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
• The goal is to better understand groundwater beneath the Great Salt Lake, the largest terminal lake in the Western Hemisphere.

Key Terms

Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) surveys

Special surveys that use electromagnetic signals to map geologic formations.

Implications

This discovery matters because it could help reduce toxic dust pollution affecting nearby communities. Freshwater could be used safely to wet dust hotspots and douse them without perturbing the freshwater system too much.