The study of a natural hypersaline lagoon in a desert area (the Bardawil Lagoon in Northern Sinai)

Abstract

The hypersaline Bardawil Lagoon, situated on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula, was studied. Seven environmental parameters (water temperature, salinity, pH, calcium and magnesium ion concentrations, content of dissolved oxygen and micronutrients) were monitored. The magnesium/salinity and calcium/salinity ratios of the brines of the Bardawil Lagoon (0·0386 8 ±0·0002 7 and 0·0114 2 ±0·0002 2 g l −1 (S ‰) −1 , respectively) are equal to the ratios for Mediterranean seawater and are in good agreement with literature values for other oceans and seas. The process of the formation of the Bardawil Lagoon water body was modelled in laboratory conditions. The results of this study, the constancy of the magnesium/salinity and calcium/salinity ratios and their identical values to those of Mediterranean sea water show that the brines of the Bardawil Lagoon were formed by mere evaporation of Mediterranean seawater without the interference of other non-marine water sources except rain water.