Solar Salt Lake

a mineral salt lake having such a high level of salt in the water that it is possible for the salt to crystallize and settle on the bottom. The water of a solar salt lake is called brine. The deposition of salts occurs both during the summer, when the concentration of brine increases because of evaporation, and during the winter, when the salts (especially sulfates) have a reduced solubility because of decreasing temperatures. Many solar salt lakes are used for the commercial extraction of common salt (Elton, Baskunchak), mirabilite (Kara-Bogaz-Gol), soda (Doroninskoe Lake in Transbaikalia), and other salts.