"Uncovering the Ever-Changing Nature of Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats"
New research from the University of Utah challenges the long-held belief that the Bonneville Salt Flats were formed as Lake Bonneville dried up 13,000 years ago, revealing that the salt crusts actually began accumulating between 5,400 and 3,500 years ago. This study, published in the journal Quaternary Research, suggests that the landscape is more dynamic than previously understood, with evidence of erosion and accumulation of gypsum sand during dry periods. The findings have implications for managing the shrinking salt flats and offer insights into how this unique geological feature could be managed differently in the future.