Natural salt pans or salt flats are flat expanses of ground covered with salt and other minerals , usually shining white under the sun . They are found in deserts and are natural formations (unlike salt evaporation ponds , which are artificial).
28-521: Verneukpan is a widespread dry salt pan south of Kenhardt , between Swartkop and Diemansput in the Northern Cape , South Africa. Verneuk is Afrikaans for to trick, mislead, screw or swindle. The pan is used for aerotowing operations. During the rainy seasons many birds flock to the pans , when they contain water. The surface is completely flat, and is approximately 57 kilometres (35 mi) long and 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide. In 1929
56-424: A water pool, such as a lake or pond . This happens in climates where the rate of water evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation — that is, in a desert. If the water cannot drain into the ground, it remains on the surface until it evaporates, leaving behind minerals precipitated from the salt ions dissolved in the water. Over thousands of years , the minerals (usually salts) accumulate on
84-462: A new Bluebird designed by Reid Railton , Campbell broke the land speed record four more times at Daytona . In 1935 Campbell did exceed 300 miles per hour (483 km/h) reaching 301.337 miles per hour (485 km/h) at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah , becoming the first man to exceed 300 miles per hour (483 km/h) on land. The track that he compacted on the pan is still visible today. Verneuk pan
112-661: A practice run for an attempt to break the 24-second world record for the standing mile over 1.67 kilometres (1 mi). The pan is a well-known kiting destination in South Africa. The widespread open spaces offer opportunities for parasailing . The pan is also used by kite-surfers, an extreme sport using wind buggies. These are bicycle-like vehicles with a sail attached to them. With wind buggies speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) can be reached. There are also many viewpoints that are used for birdwatching . South African pop singer Karlien van Jaarsveld recorded
140-408: A target, and so the vast flat plane of the flats serves as an ideal location to measure the linear distance traveled by arrows without geographic interference. Both the 1977 (archer Don Brown) and 1982 (archer Alan Webster) world records were set there; while the current world record, achieved in 1987 (archer Don Brown), was set at the salt flats near Smith Creek, Nevada . The thickness of salt crust
168-587: A well-known salt pan in the arid regions of the western United States . The Etosha pan , in the Etosha National Park in Namibia , is another prominent example of a salt pan. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt pan in the world. As of 2024, with an estimated 23 million tons , Bolivia holds about 22% of the world's known lithium resources (105 million tons); most of those are in
196-414: Is a critical factor in racing use of the salt flats. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has undertaken multiple studies on the topic; while a 2007 study determined that there was little change in the crust's thickness from 1988 to 2003, more recent studies have shown a reduction in thickness, especially in the northwest area where racing occurs. The flats' overall area has contracted significantly over
224-514: Is the most interesting experience experiment I have ever made. During 1952 Vic Proctor tried to set the world motorcycle record on his Vincent Black Lightning , but eventually crashed at around 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). Later that year he set the Flying Mile record, but not at Verneukpan. Andy Green also visited the pan during 2008, as he needed to check every possible surface to rank them all for use by Bloodhound SSC . The pan
252-625: Is well known for its high-quality alkali playa surface, which would be perfect for Bloodhound. Unfortunately it is also covered by a huge number of stones (klippe). While the pan meets all the other requirements for a land speed record track, removing the stones over the huge area needed would require a vast amount of manual work. This is also the place where Johan Jacobs – South African land speed record holder and former fighter pilot – died on 27 June 2006. His jet car, Edge, went out of control and flipped while travelling at approximately 500 kilometres per hour (311 mph). This happened during
280-757: The Pleistocene Lake Bonneville , it is the largest of many salt flats west of the Great Salt Lake . It is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is known for land speed records at the Bonneville Speedway . Access to the Flats is open to the public. The Flats are about 12 miles (19 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, with a crust almost 5 ft (1.5m) thick at the center and less than one inch (2.5 cm) towards
308-412: The pans , when they contain water, after some rainfall. Temperature above 40 °C is not uncommon. The surface is completely flat, claimed to be a dried-up lake estimated 57 kilometres (35 mi) long and 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide. A large section of the pan's surface is moderately covered with grass and rocks. It can be reached by driving about 115 kilometres (71 mi) south from Kenhardt on
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#1732787196353336-644: The "World Finals" take place early October. These three events welcome cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The "Bub Motorcycle Speed Trials" are for motorcycles only. World records are contested at the Mike Cook ShootOut in September. The Southern California Timing Association and the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association organizes and plans the multi-vehicle events, but all event promoters contribute to prepping and maintaining
364-542: The 5 kilometres (3 mi) record, reaching 202 miles per hour (325 km/h). The Bluebird started her last run on 25 January 1929, at 05:00, under the moon and the early light. She flashed like a silver bullet along the white line that stretched beyond sight. He set two records that day. The first for the 5 kilometres (3 mi), reaching 211 miles per hour (340 km/h). Secondly for the 5 miles (8 km), reaching 212 miles per hour (341 km/h). He promised to come back in his Springbok . He eventually never did. In
392-581: The Bonneville Salt Flats. The record for wheel-driven vehicles (449 MPH) was set there in 2018, and for rocket or jet propelled vehicles (630 MPH; since superseded) in 1970. Motorcar racing has taken place at the salt flats since 1914. Racing takes place at part of the Bonneville Salt Flats known as the Bonneville Speedway . There are five major land speed events that take place at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Bonneville "Speed Week" takes place mid-August followed by "World of Speed" in September and
420-775: The Caribbean: At World's End . Furthermore, the Pontiac Bonneville (former flagship sedan of the Pontiac motor division), the Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, and the Bonneville International media company are all named for the Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats hosts the annual US Flight Archery Championships. The goal of flight archery is to shoot arrows from bows at the greatest distance possible without regard to hitting
448-507: The Flats was completed in 1910, marking the first permanent crossing. The first land speed record was set there in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff . Entertainment filmed at the Flats include portions of Walking with Dinosaurs Special - The Ballad of Big Al , Knight Rider , Warlock , Independence Day (1996) and its sequel , SLC Punk , Cremaster 2 from Cremaster Cycle , The Brown Bunny , The World's Fastest Indian , Gerry , The Tree of Life , Top Gear and Pirates of
476-569: The Salar de Uyuni. 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. Parts of Rann of Kutch (India) are salt marsh in the wet season and salt pan in the dry season. Bonneville Salt Flats The Bonneville Salt Flats are a densely packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah , United States. A remnant of
504-560: The edges. It is estimated to hold 147 million tons of salt , approximately 90% of which is common table salt . Geologist Grove Karl Gilbert named the area after Benjamin Bonneville , a U.S. Army officer who explored the Intermountain West in the 1830s. In 1907, Bill Rishel and two local businessmen tested the suitability of the salt for driving by taking a Pierce-Arrow onto its surface. A railway line across
532-645: The music video for 'Hande' on the fields. The farm Kareeboomdam played host to The Brightrock Battle of the Sports challenge with some of South Africa's best-known sports people like John Smith, Makaya Ntini, Bruce Foredyce, Butch James, Schalk Brits, and Lance Klusner in 2020. The farm has direct access to "Campbell’s Koppie" with views across the length of the pan and the Sir Malcolm Campbell's track and allows visitors to wild camp on Verneukpan. Salt pan (geology) A salt pan forms by evaporation of
560-476: The pan was used by Sir Malcolm Campbell , attempting to raise the land speed record in his Napier-Campbell Blue Bird . The trip to the Bushmanland was not an easy one for Campbell. First he lost his briefcase with important papers in it. Secondly he survived when his aeroplane crashed in a tree near Calvinia. A threatening assignment was facing the people preparing the track. Willem Louw was in charge sweeping
588-410: The pan was used by Sir Malcolm Campbell , who unsuccessfully attempted to break the land speed record in his Napier-Campbell Blue Bird . Andy Green visited the pan during 2008, while investigating surfaces for use by Bloodhound SSC . This region contains very little vegetation, primarily very low shrubs and yellow grass among a rocky desert kind of landscape. During the seasons many birds flock to
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#1732787196353616-461: The pan. Puffadders and scorpions were very common in the area and the temperature could rise to 42 °C in the shade during the summer. Campbell and his crew underestimated the Verneukpan's tricks. The track, starting from a hill on the outskirts and striking into the heart of the pan was supposed to be 16 miles (26 km) long. It was spread out directly west–east and looked straight into
644-634: The past several decades. The cause or causes of this remain unclear, but many believe adjacent evaporative potash mining is the primary factor. Collaboration between racing organizations, the potash mine, and the BLM led to a pilot program begun in 1998 to release excess brine onto the salt flats during winter. Plans to increase the volume of brine returned to the salt flats are hoped to halt loss of crust thickness, or possibly restore it where it has become too thin to sustain human use. Land speed records and Land speed racing records have been set many times on
672-537: The rising sun. The dust devils were a major hazard for Campbell. Mirages created phantom trees and ghostly men on stilts. Extremely sharp stones were spread all over the pan's surface. When these stones were removed, holes were left. The day of the Flash in the Pan was postponed time after time. A tortoise on the track, was named Blue Bird II . During the setbacks, the targeted record of 200 miles per hour (322 km/h)
700-548: The salt. "Speed Week" events in August were canceled in 2015 and 2022, due to the poor condition of the salt in certain parts of the flats. The salt flats had been swamped by heavy rains earlier in the year, as usual, but this year the rains also triggered mudslides from surrounding mountains onto a section of the flats used for the land-speed racing courses. In 2004, the Stardust spacecraft released its sample-return capsule for
728-423: The surface. These minerals reflect the sun's rays and often appear as white areas. Salt pans can be dangerous. The crust of salt can conceal a quagmire of mud that can engulf a truck. The Qattara Depression in the eastern Sahara Desert contains many such traps which served as strategic barriers during World War II . The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah , where many land speed records have been set, are
756-480: The way to Cape Town . Aerial imagery has revealed extensive former agricultural contouring on this pan, suggesting a once much wetter climate. This region was included in a Sciforums article by Walter Wagner regarding such former agriculture in an article entitled Ancient Dikes, Dams and Reservoirs of the Kalahari Region. Another article suggested it was connected to a similar region further north. In 1929
784-411: Was pushed to 231.36 miles per hour (372 km/h). Campbell wanted to reach 300 miles per hour (483 km/h), but his mean speed for the measured mile was 218.45 miles per hour (352 km/h). He failed to break the record when the coarse surface damaged his tyres. He had vanquished the speed record he had come to South Africa for, but it was 6 weeks too late. With only one set of tyres left, he took on
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