MSGID: 1:317/3 62ab6fc6   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   June 16, 2022 - Rapidly Shrinking Great Salt Lake   
      
      Salt lake   
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      The Great Salt Lake is an iconic feature of the state of Utah, U.S.A.,   
      creating a huge draw for tourists and local residents alike who long to   
      experience the buoyancy of the saline waters, to sunbathe in the sand,   
      to watch birds, or just generally soak in the uniqueness of a visit to   
      the large, life-sustaining oasis that sits in an increasingly dry   
      landscape. As wonderful as the lake is to experience, the health of the   
      lake also is a foundation of the health of a wider ecosystem. The   
      salinity of the lake is crucial to supporting a population of algae   
      that feed brine shrimp, a species critical to feeding birds that flock   
      to the shores during migration and breeding, as well as provide a   
      profitable industry to humans who sell the shrimp and eggs   
      commercially. On a broader scale, the water in the lake contributes to   
      the winter snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains, and that snowpack is   
      vital to the well-being of agriculture and human life in the   
      increasingly-populated valley.   
      
      The description published on the website of the Utah Department of   
      Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources probably sums up the   
      importance of the Great Salt Lake best, “The ecology of the lake is an   
      extraordinary example of the rich web of relationships between people,   
      land, water, food and survival. The 15,000 square miles of various   
      water environments, remote islands and shorelines, with 400,000 acres   
      of wetlands, provide habitat for plants, brine shrimp, reptiles,   
      amphibians, mammals, shorebirds and waterfowl. Birds rely on the lake,   
      a critical link in the Pacific Flyway between North and South America.   
      Every year 10 million birds from 338 different species come to rest,   
      eat and breed during migrations of a thousand miles or more. With the   
      decline of other lakes, GSL is increasingly important to these   
      species.”   
      
      Unfortunately, the Great Salt Lake is in trouble.   
      
      Increasing diversion of the water of three rivers feeding the lake for   
      human use and agricultural purposes means less inflow to the lake.   
      Increasingly warm climate and a long-standing drought mean more water   
      evaporating from the lake, which increases salinity as well as shrinks   
      the size of the lake. Shrinking size means more dry lake bed, which   
      contains high levels of arsenic and other toxic materials, is exposed   
      and available to be lofted into the air as dust. A shrinking lake also   
      means less water available to form precious winter snowpack, which   
      impacts the welfare of humans who depend on water from the mountains   
      and also impacts the ability of the Great Salt Lake to refresh from   
      melting snowpack. Increasing salinity means that the lake water will   
      become unlivable for many species of algae, which may cause brine   
      shrimp to disappear. The U.S. Drought monitor on June 9, 2022, shows   
      that 100 percent of Utah is in at least severe drought, with roughly 90   
      percent of the state in Extreme or Exceptional drought. “Exceptional   
      drought” is the U.S. Drought monitor’s highest level of drought. They   
      do not measure anything greater.   
      
      On July 23, 2021, the Great Salt Lake in Utah reached its lowest water   
      level on record when the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge at the   
      Saltair boat harbor at the southern end of the lake recorded the   
      average daily level at 4,191.3 feet (1,277.5 meters) above sea level,   
      the lowest mark since measurements began in 1875. The previous low was   
      set in 1963. The Utah Division of Water Resources stated another record   
      low was reached on October 15-18, 2021, when the water level dropped to   
      4,190.2 feet (1,277.2 meters). They expected the lake to experience a   
      new low in the summer of 2022.   
      
      They didn't have to wait that long.   
      
      On June 15, 2022, the USGS website reports that the gauge at the   
      Saltair boat harbor measured 4,186.80 feet. (1,276.1 meters).   
      
      The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the Great Salt   
      Lake on June 15, 2022. The color difference between the two end of the   
      lake is caused by a railroad line that runs across the lake, which   
      obstructs normal mixing of lake water. The northern section is much   
      saltier than the southern section (28 percent vs. 6-27 percent,   
      respectively). Different species of algae live in the more saline North   
      Arm than in the South Arm and this species difference is reflected in   
      the color.   
      
      To truly appreciate change over time, it is necessary to compare   
      different images acquired by the same instrument on different days.   
      Thanks to the NASA Worldview App, it is simple to create roll-over   
      comparisons between two Terra MODIS images, one acquired on June 15,   
      2022, and one acquired only a few days short of two years earlier, on   
      June 24, 2020. To interact with the image, simply click on the arrow   
      (or in the box) and scroll back and forth. The difference in such a   
      short time is easily visible, and quite sobering.   
      
      IFRAME:   
       https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/?v=-118.12729801252365,38.4969   
      2300407783,-108.29799782404092,43.8105028549229&l1=Reference_Labels_15m   
      (hidden),Reference_Features_15m(hidden),Coastlines_15m,VIIRS_NOAA20_Cor   
      rectedReflectance_TrueColor(hidden),VIIRS_SNPP_CorrectedReflectance_Tru   
      eColor(hidden),MODIS_Aqua_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor(hidden),MODIS_   
      Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor&ca=false&cv=56&t=2000-06-24-T20%3A   
      11%3A44Z&t1=2022-06-15-T20%3A11%3A44Z&em=true   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 6/15/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (128.4 KB),  500m (333.9 KB),  250m (221.2   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-06-16   
       
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