Around the world, dry salt lakes are crisscrossed by thousands of meter-wide salt polygons. Although they resemble crack patterns, these structures are actually the result of convection occurring in the salty groundwater beneath the soil. I have covered the physics previously, but this new article by several of the researchers gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the investigation itself and how they uncovered the true explanation. (Image credit: S. Liu, see also: Physics Today)

https://fyfluiddynamics.com/2024/09/origins-of-salt-polygons/

#convection #fluidDynamics #geophysics #physics #porousMedia #saltPolygons #science