Bonneville Salt Flat Research Paper

Words: 1367
Pages: 6

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
I. Introduction to Salt Flats
Salt flats are a world's wonder. People from around the world to admire their beauty, events, and the history.The history of the bonneville salt flats along with other salt flats is very interesting and that is the first topic.
II. Human History of Bonneville Salt Flats
The first people to ever life in the bonneville salt flats was primitive people. Scientists that study these salt flats say that these people settled here 10,000 years ago if not more at the so called “Danger Cave.”. The Bonneville salt flats, before the process happened, was a massive lake on the Utah-Nevada border. The primitive people settled here because, like most civilizations today, they lived by bodies of water. They
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Rishel recognized the salt flats as a considerably good racing course. He convinced daredevils to race on it in automobiles. In the 1914s Teddy Tezlaff drove in a race and got a record speed of 141.73. Not so much longer later a famous british racer called Sir Malcolm Campbell brung his style to the races in the salt flats in the 1930s. From then on until the 1950s speed demons were everywhere. They went from 300 to 400 to 500 to 600 mph breaking records non stop. Later on the 60s brought jet powered cars to the races. People like Art Arfrons, Bob Summers, Bobby Tatroe, Craig Breedlove, Done Vesco, Elwin Teague, Gary Gabelich, George E. Eyston, John Cobb, Nolan White, Sir Malcolm Cambell, Tom Burkland, and Tom Green piloted these cars. Lately though bad things have been happening in the salt flats. Racers and families are afraid racing on the salt flats are dying. For the past two years the races have been canceled and that makes drivers worry about its health. Not only know is it declining in health but from 1960 to 1988 the U.S geological survey showed that about 55 million tons of salt disappeared thinning a foot and a half of the crust. Most critics and scientists believe that the racing and the speed it starting to destroy the salt flats, but nobody is sure about it some think it's the weather and others don't …show more content…
How it Works/Geology
The way salt flats form are very interesting. They cover over 30,000 acres (45 square miles). They got this size in a miraculous transformation. When lake Bonneville was over 1000 feet deep 17,000 years ago was when it all started. It started to recede leaving large concentrations of minerals deposited in surrounding soils including potash. It is also made up out of 90% salt. Nowadays the shallow ground water flows from the surrounding watershed. It picks up dissolved
(P.4 Isaac Reyes)minerals along the way,and it percolates up to the salt flats’ surface. When the temperatures rises in the later spring and summer months the salty water evaporates in the heat and the minerals are left behind and it forms the salt crust. When the cooler months start to come the groundwater floods the flats several inches deep. It then repeats and repeats over and over again. Wind, rain storms, the regional climate, also play a part in changing the salt crusts condition. Stratified layers that form salt flats are almost 5 feet thick in the center and onl an inch or two at the outer edge. Salt flats are barely over 46 square miles in size which is equal to about 147 million tons of