China
22:29, 01-Aug-2017
Summertime ‘snow’ covering north China salt lake is not all it seems
[]
Share
Copied
Residents of Yuncheng in north China's Shanxi Province have been astonished by a snow-like covering on top of a salt lake in the middle of summer recently. The flakes have even been spread by wind onto surrounding roads.
However, this is no wintery precipitation but foam whipped up from the salt water by atmospheric conditions, as an expert explained.
"Apart from air and water, other components of this foam are minerals and organic matter in the salt lake. They pose no harm to human beings. Nor is it harmful to the environment," said Ding Hongxia, director of a salt lake research center under the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences.
"Salty water tends to generate foam. Besides, there are some unique algae and plankton in this lake which add to the stickiness of the water. It's been windy these past few days coupled with hot air temperatures, increasing the saltiness in the water. It is the wind that stirs up the foam while stickiness gathers foams together to give rise to this phenomenon," added Ding.