Salt Lakes: a discussion of processes influencing palaeoenvironmental interpretation and recommendations for future study
Abstract The observed state of a salt-lake system reflects the interaction of groundwater, runoff, surface-water, porewater and sediments, aeolian transport, and chemical and biological reactions. These processes in turn affect the lacustrine biota, the sediment composition, deposition, diagenesis, deflation and re-deposition, and the geomorphic features of the salt lake. The interactive processes thereby control the deposition and preservation of the palaeoenvironmental record in salt lakes. Consequently, considerable understanding of these processes is required to recover palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental detail from the sedimentary record. During the recent SLEADS Workshop, participants recognized several key discipline research needs and herein make recommendations for future salt-lake research covering (1) hydrology and hydrochemistry, (2) geomorphology and stratigraphy, (3) mineralogy, isotopes and trace metals, and (4) biology.