Bonneville Salt Flats facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bonneville Salt Flats |
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Sunset at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2015. Unique hexagon patterns are formed by the freezing and thawing of brackish waters.
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 Bonneville Salt Flats
Location in Utah
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| Floor elevation | 1,291 m (4,236 ft) |
| Length | 12 mi (19 km) |
| Width | 5 mi (8.0 km) |
| Area | 40 sq mi (100 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Tooele |
| Borders on | Interstate 80 in Utah (south) West Wendover, Nevada (west) |
The Bonneville Salt Flats are a huge, flat area covered in salt in Utah, United States. Imagine a giant, white desert made of salt! This amazing place is what's left of an ancient lake called Lake Bonneville. It's the biggest salt flat west of the Great Salt Lake.
This land is open to everyone and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It's famous for exciting land speed records set at the Bonneville Speedway. People come from all over the world to race here.
The Salt Flats stretch about 12 miles (19 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide. The salt crust can be almost 5 feet (1.5 meters) thick in the middle. It gets thinner towards the edges. Scientists believe there are about 147 million tons of salt here. Most of it is just like the table salt you use at home!
Contents
Discovering the Bonneville Salt Flats
How the Salt Flats Got Their Name
A scientist named Grove Karl Gilbert gave the Salt Flats their name. He named them after Benjamin Bonneville. Benjamin was a U.S. Army officer who explored the western United States in the 1830s.
Early Explorers and Racers
In 1907, some local businessmen, including Bill Rishel, tried driving a car on the salt. They wanted to see if it was smooth enough for vehicles. It turns out, it was!
A railway line was built across the Flats in 1910. This was the first time people could cross this vast area easily. The very first land speed record was set here in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff. Imagine how fast that car must have gone!
Bonneville in Movies and Pop Culture
You might have seen the Bonneville Salt Flats without even knowing it! Many movies and TV shows have filmed scenes here. Some examples include Knight Rider, Independence Day, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Its unique look makes it perfect for filming.
Some famous vehicles and companies are also named after this place. These include the Pontiac Bonneville car and the Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.
Archery Championships
The Bonneville Salt Flats is also home to the annual US Flight Archery Championships. In flight archery, people try to shoot arrows as far as they possibly can. World records were set here in 1977 and 1982 for shooting arrows the longest distance.
Protecting the Salt Flats
Why Salt Thickness Matters
The salt crust needs to be thick for racing and other activities. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) studies the salt's thickness. Some studies showed the salt was getting thinner, especially where races happen.
What is Causing Changes?
The total area of the Salt Flats has shrunk over the years. Many people think that nearby mining for potash might be a main reason. Potash is a type of salt used in fertilizers.
Working Together to Help
To help protect the Salt Flats, racing groups, the potash mine, and the BLM are working together. Since 1998, they have been pumping salty water, called brine, back onto the flats in winter. They hope this will stop the salt from getting thinner. They also hope it might even help the salt crust grow back in some areas. This way, people can keep enjoying this special place.
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Exciting Land Speed Events
Racing for Records
The Bonneville Salt Flats is famous for setting amazing land speed records! People try to drive cars and motorcycles faster than anyone else. The record for vehicles with wheels was set here in 2018, reaching 449 miles per hour. For jet-powered vehicles, a record of 630 miles per hour was set in 1970.
The Bonneville Speedway
Car racing has happened here since 1914. The special racing area is called the Bonneville Speedway. Several big racing events happen each year.
Annual Racing Events
- Speed Week: This exciting event happens in mid-August.
- World of Speed: You can see this race in September.
- World Finals: This event takes place in early October.
These three events welcome all kinds of vehicles, like cars, trucks, and motorcycles. There are also special races just for motorcycles. Groups like the Southern California Timing Association help organize these events. They also work hard to prepare and care for the salt surface.
Sometimes, events like "Speed Week" have been canceled. For example, in 2015 and 2022, heavy rains caused mudslides. This made parts of the salt flats unsafe for racing.
Spacecraft Landing Site
Stardust Comes Home
The Bonneville Salt Flats isn't just for racing! In 2004, a special spacecraft called Stardust landed here. This spacecraft had traveled far into space. It collected samples from an asteroid and a comet. Then, it sent a capsule back to Earth, which landed safely on the Salt Flats. How cool is that?
See also
In Spanish: Salar de Bonneville para niños
- Pontiac Bonneville, a car that was named after the salt flats
- Triumph Bonneville, a motorcycle that was named after the salt flats
- Black Rock Desert in Nevada, another land-speed record test ground
- List of vehicle speed records
