46 THE SALTON SEA. 



came from the evaporation of sea-water without loss from being covered up with silt, then 

 the volume of water which could have evaporated must have been much smaller than the 

 present lake. (See pp. 25-27.) 



There is strong geological evidence, on the other hand, that a former lake existed in 

 Salton Basin much larger than the present lake. It might be assumed that this original 

 lake was once in contact with the ocean, and that the greater part, but not all, of the salts 

 were buried beyond reach of the present water in the lake. If this were the case, then it 

 would be expected that the composition of salts taken up by the water would be similar 

 to that of salts found in bittern waters, or at least would be decidedly different from the 

 ocean type of salts originally deposited. Since no such difference is noted, it seems safe 

 to conclude that the salts which have been taken up by the Salton Sea are not of ocean 

 origin, but have a similar source with the salts in Great Salt Lake; and that if the Salton 

 Basin were at some former time filled with sea-water all salts contained therein and de- 

 posited when the water evaporated must have been completely buried beyond the action 

 of the present water of the lake. 



