The message from Ann contains these words:
Where do you think that underground salt store comes from? See below. I've capitalised it, for the benefit of those with poor reading and comprehension skills.
See
The Dept of Agriculture, Western Australia, whose information I cited and quoted, surely has researched and understands more about Australian soil salination than a BBC journalist writing a onepage soundbite for the general public.
"Where does the salt come from?
Soil salt can come from three main sources:
- From the breakdown of parent rock: A very slow process. 2. From geological inundation by the oceans: Only on discrete parts of Australia. 3. From wind blown salt, USUALLY IN RAIN WATER FROM THE OCEAN.
SALT IN RAINFALL can range from about 20 kg/ha/per annum (usually inland with low rainfall) to more than 200 kg/ha/per annum (usually coastal with high rainfall). IN MOST OF AUSTRALIA THIS IS THE SOURCE OF STORED SALTS.
Stored salt levels
Salt becomes stored in the landscape through the balance of salt input (through rainfall) and loss through leaching or drainage from the catchment. In areas where potential evaporation is high and rainfall is low (semi-arid and arid zones), salt falls on the landscape but is not flushed out. It therefore accumulates, usually below the root zone of original native vegetation. " (end quote)
They also suggest further reading at
Hingston, FJ and Gailitis, V (1976) The geographic variation of salt precipitated over Western Australia. Aust. J. Soil Res., v.14, p.319-335.
Get that? It tells you there is scientific, peer reviewed, accepted agricultural research in Australia into salt precipitated over western Australia. For the dumber Americans here, precipitated means it fell in rain. All you have to do, to learn more about how that rained salt becomes part of the soil salination problem, is read the WA salination website.
Janet.