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Great Salt Lake

All articles tagged with #great salt lake

environment13 days ago•5 min saved

Backlash Escalates as Utah Approves Giant AI Datacenter and Its Water-Power Toll

Utah’s Box Elder County approved Stratos, a colossal AI datacenter footprint spanning more than 40,000 acres across three sites, requiring about 9GW of power and substantial water use. Critics warn the project would stress drought-stricken water resources and worsen heat and ecological pressures on the Great Salt Lake, while supporters tout job creation and national AI competitiveness. Opponents are pursuing a referendum, and developers plan to refile a water-diversion application, promising a phased development with safeguards as state leaders call for accountability.

via The Guardian|

#ai #datacenter #environment

business-tech17 days ago•316 min saved

Utah communities push back as billionaire-backed AI data center moves forward near Great Salt Lake

Box Elder County approved a 40,000‑acre Stratos AI data‑center campus near the shrinking Great Salt Lake to power a 9‑GW facility with a natural‑gas plant, a project backed by Kevin O’Leary that officials say could create roughly 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent positions. Critics warn the plan could harm the local ecosystem and water resources, calling for independent studies, more information, and a referendum to overturn the decision; a referendum petition is being reviewed, and the first gigawatt could be online within two years as early work is expected to begin this fall.

via CNN|

#ai-data-center #business-tech #great-salt-lake

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Massive Hidden Freshwater Layer Detected Beneath Great Salt Lake

Scientists using an airborne electromagnetic survey have identified a continuous freshwater reservoir beneath Utah’s Great Salt Lake, spanning from about 100 meters (330 feet) down to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) deep and potentially as large as the lake itself. The freshwater likely originates from mountain snowmelt and is trapped by impermeable rock layers, with some spots approaching the surface where reeds grow. While it could help damp dust and inform water management, researchers emphasize more widespread surveying is needed before considering extraction.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#airborne-electromagnetic-survey #freshwater #great-salt-lake

planet-earth1 month ago•69 min saved

Massive freshwater layer found beneath Great Salt Lake could reshape Utah's water future

Scientists using airborne electromagnetic surveys found a deep layer of fresh water beneath the eastern margin of Utah's Great Salt Lake, ranging from about 100 meters to 2.5 miles deep. The water likely originates from surrounding mountains and is trapped by underlying rock, suggesting a potentially vast reservoir that could help damp toxic dust from exposed lake beds and provide irrigation water, though expansion of the survey is needed to determine full extent.

via Live Science|

#airborne-geophysics #freshwater-reservoir #great-salt-lake

science1 month ago•37 min saved

Hidden Freshwater Reservoir Revealed Beneath the Great Salt Lake

University of Utah researchers used airborne electromagnetic surveys over Farmington Bay to map beneath the Great Salt Lake and found freshwater permeating sediments up to about 4 kilometers deep, indicating a substantial subsurface reservoir. The study linked reed‑filled mounds to freshwater breakthroughs and mapped the potential volume, though the full extent remains unknown and requires more surveys. If confirmed, this groundwater could help wet dust hotspots and contribute to water resources without overly perturbing the lake system.

via Yahoo|

#aerial-electromagnetic-surveys #aquifer #farmington-bay

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Freshwater Hidden Beneath Great Salt Lake, Study Finds

Using airborne electromagnetic surveys, researchers found a large freshwater reservoir beneath the Great Salt Lake, saturating sediments under the eastern margin and a basement depth deepening from hundreds of yards to over 2.5 miles; while promising, the survey covered only part of the lake, so the full freshwater volume remains uncertain.

via Futurism|

#airborne-electromagnetic-survey #freshwater #geology

earth-science2 months ago•16 min saved

Hidden Freshwater Beneath Great Salt Lake Could Help Douse Dust

An airborne electromagnetic survey by University of Utah researchers found a deep freshwater reservoir beneath the shrinking Great Salt Lake, extending 3–4 kilometers (10,000–13,000 feet) below the saline lake and possibly reaching toward its interior. The discovery could help mitigate dust pollution by wetting hotspots, though scientists aim to map the lake’s full footprint to quantify the freshwater resource and its ecological implications.

via Gizmodo|

#dust-pollution #earth-science #freshwater

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Underground Freshwater Vault Discovered Beneath Great Salt Lake

Researchers using airborne electromagnetic surveys and magnetic data mapped beneath Utah’s Great Salt Lake and uncovered a large, previously unknown freshwater reservoir that extends deep into the basin, challenging the idea that the lake is fully saline. The find suggests mountain-fed freshwater can infiltrate far beneath the surface and may offer new options for drought and dust mitigation, though surveys are incomplete and sustainable use requires caution; the study, published in Scientific Reports, emphasizes the need to survey the entire lake to determine the reservoir’s true extent.

via Indian Defence Review|

#freshwater #geophysics #great-salt-lake

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Hidden Freshwater Reservoir Detected Beneath the Great Salt Lake

Airborne electromagnetic data reveal a large freshwater reservoir beneath the Great Salt Lake, with a deep bedrock depression and sediment-filled zones that could store significant water across roughly 2,500 square kilometers and up to 3–4 kilometers deep; researchers plan broader surveys to map the extent and explore uses for dust mitigation and water management.

via ScienceAlert|

#aem-survey #bedrock-depth #dust-mitigation

environment2 months ago•12 min saved

Utah’s Olympic deadline fuels bold plan to refill Great Salt Lake by 2034

Utah aims to refill the shrinking Great Salt Lake by 2034—coinciding with Salt Lake City’s Olympic Games—through policy reforms, water-right transfers, and philanthropy led by Josh Romney; the effort has broad support but faces enormous hurdles, including securing roughly 800,000 acre-feet of water annually, overcoming over-allocated rights, and financing projects that may cost hundreds of millions of dollars, all while drought and toxic dust risks loom.

via NBC News|

#2034-olympics #environment #great-salt-lake

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Tiny Nematodes Discovered Living Deep in Great Salt Lake Sediments

University of Utah researchers report finding microscopic nematodes living in the sediment beneath Great Salt Lake, revealing a hidden layer of biodiversity in this hypersaline environment. Genetic analysis identified multiple nematode species that inhabit lakebed spaces, feeding on bacteria and organic matter to help recycle nutrients and potentially shaping the lake’s microbial ecosystem. The discovery, published in the Journal of Nematology, expands our understanding of life in extreme habitats.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#biodiversity #extremophiles #great-salt-lake

environment4 months ago•5 min saved

On the Edge: Sundance Doc Details the Great Salt Lake Crisis

A Sundance documentary, The Lake, argues the Great Salt Lake could vanish within years due to heavy water diversions for agriculture, risking toxic dust, health impacts, and economic damage; it follows scientists and Utah officials debating how to rescue the lake, highlighting a push for a drastic overhaul of water use, a state-led rescue effort with a $200 million philanthropic drive, and a 2034 target tied to Salt Lake City’s Olympics, with Leonardo DiCaprio as an executive producer as Sundance departs Utah for Boulder in 2027.

via The Guardian|

#dust-pollution #environment #great-salt-lake

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Uncover Surprising New Life in Great Salt Lake

Scientists discovered a new microscopic nematode species, Diplolaimelloides woaabi, in the extreme environment of Utah's Great Salt Lake, challenging previous beliefs about the lake's biodiversity and raising questions about its origins and ecological role.

via Indian Defence Review|

#ecosystem #extreme-environment #great-salt-lake

science4 months ago•7 min saved

Scientists Discover New Animal Species in Great Salt Lake

Scientists have discovered a new species of nematode, Diplolaimelloides woaabi, in the Great Salt Lake, which may be unique to the lake and plays a potentially important ecological role, raising questions about its origin and survival in such an extreme environment.

via SciTechDaily|

#ecosystem #great-salt-lake #microbialites

business7 months ago•8 min saved

Great Salt Lake's $250M Lithium Boom and U.S. Battery Supply Shift

Silicon Valley startup Lilac Solutions plans to raise $250 million to build a facility at the Great Salt Lake to extract lithium from brine using a cheaper, environmentally friendly method, potentially transforming U.S. lithium supply and supporting the growing demand for batteries driven by electric vehicles and energy storage.

via Forbes|

#battery #business #environment