![]() ![]() Some salt lakes are so salty that only very specialised organisms can live in them. Although the Caspian Sea is quite salty, it is dilute enough to support a fairly normal range of organisms. This is fed by freshwater from the Volga River, but has no outlet and hence salts accumulate. The largest salt lake in the world is the Caspian Sea. Where the minerals are predominantly carbonates and bicarbonates, particularly in volcanic areas, the water becomes alkaline and soapy, forming soda lakes. Seawater contains 35 grams per litre, but some salt lakes contain minerals at concentrations many times that of sea water. Lakes containing more than 5 grams of minerals per litre of water are considered to be salt lakes. If the minerals are predominantly chlorides, mainly sodium chloride (common salt) and magnesium chloride, salt lakes are formed with the water being distinctly briny. ![]() Where the lake is fedīy streams and rivers but there is no outlet, evaporation may exceed the water flowing in and the minerals become trapped and concentrated. Lakes which are fed by water flowing over soils and rocks that contain many easily dissolved minerals can become quite salty. Freshwater never consists solely of water but contains, dissolved within it, other substances from the atmosphere or the soil. ![]()
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