Playa lakes appear after desert rains then vanish for years
On desert flats, rare downpours fill shallow closed basins called playas; within days or months the water evaporates, leaving salt crusts and cracked mud until the next storm.
While wet, they become boom habitats for shrimp, toads, and migratory birds that time travel to the brief oasis. Dry phases still shape soils and windblown dust patterns across the basin.
A lake can be a temporary natural wonder. Playas teach rivers-lakes ecology in extreme form: water is episodic, yet life scripts whole seasons around each visit.
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