Sabkha
Noun
- An area of coastal flats subject to periodic flooding and evaporation, which result in the accumulation of aeolian clays, evaporites, and salts, found in North Africa and Arabia.
Example Sentences
“The grant for studying desalination techniques in the sabkha gave the scientists funding for five years.”
“The geologists were especially interested in studying the Abu Dhabi coastal sabkha.”
“Sabkhas are found in the United States — the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, for example.”
Word Origin
Arabic, late 19th century
Why this word?
The word “sabkha” refers to the geological formation of flat, salt-encrusted desert. While the word is a translation from Arabic (سبخه), sabkhas are not isolated to Arabic-speaking regions of the world. They can be found anywhere with a hot and dry tropical climate, including North Africa, the Gulf States, Mexico, the U.S., and Australia.