Magadi

a saline lake in Kenya. Area, 300-900 sq km. Magadi is located in the East African fissure zone, among volcanic rock from which hot saline springs flow. Chemogenic processes have formed a layer of trona (sodium sesquicarbonate) on the bottom of the lake, 3.5 to 4 m deep; this substance is made into soda ash on the site. The total reserves of trona amount to approximately 200 million tons; the soda ash production is 161,000 tons (1971). The dried sections of the lake basin are covered with layers of pure rock salt.