Google Earth Community: Explanation of the white snake

This white snake (as named by many here) is a dry river. It might be flooded every once in a while, but judging for the precipitation rates in the area, that may be very rare.The white color is due to the salt accumulation at the surface. These salts were accumulated over time during the desiccation of the river. You can see many other water bodies in the surroundings that underwent the same processes. The southern end of the snake has been covered with sand, and it is very likely that the same will happen all along the river. It looks like both ends actively drain down to the sea when it rains (you can tell by the sediment in the deltaic lobes that come into the sea). There is an even larger saline water body to the south (zoom out and check it out!), which water is draining down to the sea.

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H Beraldi

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