<P> If its basin is primarily salt, then a dry lake is called a salt pan, pan, or salt flat (the latter being a remnant of a salt lake). Hardpan is the dry terminus of an internally drained basin in a dry climate, a designation typically used in the Great Basin of the western United States . </P> <P> Another term for dry lake is playa . The Spanish word playa (pronounced (ˈplaʝa)) literally means "beach". Dry lakes are known by this name in some parts of Mexico and the western United States . This term is also used on the Llano Estacado and other parts of the Southern High Plains . </P> <P> In South America, the usual term for a dry lake is salar or salina, Spanish for salt pan . </P> <P> Pan is the term used in most of South Africa . These may include the small round highveld pans, typical of the Chrissiesmeer area, to the extensive pans of the Northern Cape province . </P>

How do playas form and describe the deposits found in a playa