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GREAT SALT LAKE Northwestern Utah [41oN, 112.5oW] |
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False-Color Satellite View USGS Photo - Click to enlarge |
Google Earth View |
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The Great Salt Lake is saltier than the oceans. This trait gives it scientific properties that can be experienced directly. The high levels of salt give the lake water solution a high density. Because of this high density, it is very easy to float. The density of the Great Salt Lake is greater than the density of your body, while a freshwater lake has a density lower than that of your body. Comparing the ease of floating here with the ease at a freshwater lake is a very concrete way of experiencing the effects of density. The saltiness of the lake also makes it inhospitable to many living things. The types of organisms that can survive in the highly saline environment of the lake are unique. Somehow these organisms must counteract the effects of osmosis to keep themselves from dehydrating. Microorganisms that live in the lake are called halophiles, a type of extremophile that thrives in salty environments.
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