salinization

American  

[sal-uh-nuh-zey-shuhn] / ˌsæl ə nəˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the process by which a nonsaline soil becomes saline, as by the irrigation of land with brackish water.

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Usage

What is salinization? Salinization is the process in which soil that is low in salt becomes high in salt.In this context, “salt” doesn’t just refer to sodium chloride (table salt) but to the whole category of chemical substances known as salts.When you grow crops, you want to grow them in soil that is low in salt so that the plants can absorb water from the ground through their roots using a process called osmosis. In osmosis, a liquid moves from a place where it can’t easily dissolve (a low concentration of solubles) to a place where it can more easily dissolve (high concentration). In this case, plants usually have a high concentration of solubles so water would move from the soil into the plant.Salty soil, though, has a high concentration of solubles (salt), so water will stay where it is and not move into the plants. This is a big problem if you are a farmer because your plants will wither and die if they can’t absorb water.In salinization, soil that wasn’t salty becomes so. The most common cause of salinization is too much water in the soil close to the surface.Salinization makes it much harder to use land for farming. Often, farmers will need to spend a lot of time, money, and effort getting rid of the excess salt from the soil. Sometimes, the cost of doing this just isn’t worth it so the land will be abandoned entirely.Salinization has become a global problem, affecting approximately 20% of the world’s farmland. Salinization is more common in arid areas where salty soil water evaporates before it can be drained.

Etymology

Origin of salinization

First recorded in 1925–30; salinize + -ation

Example Sentences

"Rising groundwaters can lead to flooding of coastal cities, waterlogging of farmlands and salinization of groundwaters and soils."

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2024

Agriculture, construction, water and road treatment, and other industrial activities can also intensify salinization, which harms biodiversity and makes drinking water unsafe in extreme cases.

From Science Daily • Oct. 31, 2023

“This would imply severe challenges for coastal infrastructure and agriculture, and can lead to the salinization of coastal aquifers, including the densely populated and cultivated Nile Delta,” said George Zittis, who co-authored the report.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2022

Pugh estimates that recent flooding — and the associated salinization — cost him $2 million in lost crops over the past five years.

From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2019

Improper irrigation and drainage techniques have raised the groundwater level excessively in several districts and have caused various degrees of soil salinization in areas totaling more than 39,000 acres.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.