Chergui, Chott Ech

a sebkha (closed salt lake) in Algeria, north of the Saharan Atlas Mountains; situated at an elevation of 987 m. Chott Ech Chergui is actually a chain of three lakes joined together by narrow channels that dry up seasonally. The lakes stretch for a total of about 150 km; their width varies from a few kilometers to several dozen kilometers. The salt layer that forms on the surface during dry periods reaches a thickness of several dozen centimeters in some places.