Salt pan (geology) salt ions dissolved in the water. Over thousands of years, the minerals (usually salts) accumulate on the surface. These minerals reflect the sun's rays (through radiation) and often appear as white areas. Salt pans can be dangerous. The crust of salt can conceal a quagmire of mud that can engulf a truck. The Qattara Depression in the eastern Sahara Desert contains many such traps which served as strategic barriers during World War II. The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where many land speed records have been set, are a well-known salt pan in the arid regions of the western United
Pioneer 1 (land speed racer) making it eligible for "FIA" Class 1 ( and under). It was claimed to have set a Class 1 record of for the measured kilometer at the Baskunchak dry salt lake, and was the first Soviet land speed racer to exceed . In 1962, the power of the engines was increased to , while weight rose to . The improved car raised the Class 1 and Soviet national records for the measured kilometer to . In 1963, Tikhomirov modified "Pioneer 1" even further, to create "Pioneer 2M". Pioneer 1 (land speed racer) Pioneer 1 is a Soviet "FIA" Group VII