Salt pan (geology)

They are found in deserts and are natural formations (unlike salt evaporation ponds, which are artificial).

A salt pan forms by evaporation of a water pool, such as a lake or pond.

The Qattara Depression in the eastern Sahara Desert contains many such traps which served as strategic barriers during World War II.

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt pan in the world.

[3] The large area, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar an ideal object for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites.