The use of magnesium-enriched brine for stabilization of highly erodible playa surfaces: A comparative study with sodium alginate and sodium silicate.

Newly formed playas, such as those resulting from the desiccation of Lake Urmia (LU) in northwest Iran, are significant global dust sources with implications for human health and the environment. Stabilizing these surfaces affordably can be achieved using locally sourced magnesium-enriched brine. To evaluate this approach, for LU playa, we examined the accumulation of ions, minerals deposition, and salt crust (Cr) formation in LU brine under both natural and laboratory conditions.