Chemical and environmental implications of visible and near-infrared spectral features of salt crusts formed from different brines.

This work describes a laboratory experiment intended to study the formation and spectral reflectance properties of stratified salt crusts that cause severe environmental degradations to soil and water resources in arid regions. Salt crusts were prepared by evaporating three types of saline solutions consisting of i) NaCl - Na2SO4, ii) Na2SO4 - MgSO4, and iii) NaCl - MgSO4 at an initial concentrations of 50 mmol L(-1). They were examined for evaporite mineralogy using X-ray diffraction, optical and reflected microscopes, and for spectral reflectance with a high-resolution spectroradiometer (GER 3700) in the visible and near-infrared regions (400-2500 nm). The study documented chemical and environmental implications of the spectral properties of salt formed from the studied saline-systems. The reported results can be used to understand remotely sensed signatures of salt crusts and their implications.