Salt mineral characterization and mapping in soils are a persistent environmental concern worldwide to achieve effective use, exploration, and management of salts. We apply and develop integrated procedures of remote sensing (RS) and geophysical techniques verified by the field work to characterize and map the natural saline lake precipitation. As a research case study, the suggested approach is applied at Wadi El Natrun depression, which is one of the well-known geomorphological features at the northern part of Egyptian Western Desert. Wadi El Natrun saline lakes consist of sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and sodium carbonate. Moreover, the economic saline lakes are rich in halite salts. Obviously, RS data can (i) represent the different environmental salt zones and (ii) characterize the types and distributions of the salt-rich sediments in each of such lakes. Moreover, the surface geology discrimination and temporal change detections of the lakes are achieved. Considering the surface salt zone characterization, the subsurface salts are investigated by the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and time domain–induced polarization (TDIP) methods to locate the salt-rich deposit occurrence. The 2D electrical models derived from ERTs and TDIP measurements point out to geological layers that are compatible with the available borehole data. The resistivity models indicate two main geoelectrical layers corresponding to shale, shaly sand, and salt-rich shale. Specifically, the chargeability of models enable to discriminate between the salt-rich deposits and shaly sand layer clearer than resistivity models. Accordingly, the integration of RS and electrical resistivity data can characterize and map the salt zones in a cost-effective way. Concluded in general, the present approach can be applied elsewhere and opens the way for detailed in situ mineralogical investigation at Wadi El Natrun saline lakes.

土壤中的盐矿物表征和测绘是全球范围内持续存在的环境问题，以实现盐的有效利用、勘探和管理。我们应用并开发了通过实地工作验证的遥感 (RS) 和地球物理技术的综合程序，以表征和绘制天然盐湖降水。作为研究案例，建议的方法应用于 Wadi El Natrun 洼地，这是埃及西部沙漠北部著名的地貌特征之一。Wadi El Natrun 盐湖由氯化钠、硫酸钠和碳酸钠组成。此外，经济型盐湖富含岩盐。明显地，RS 数据可以 (i) 代表不同的环境盐区和 (ii) 表征每个此类湖泊中富含盐分的沉积物的类型和分布。此外，还实现了湖泊的地表地质判别和时间变化检测。考虑到地表盐带特征，通过电阻率层析成像（ERT）和时域诱导极化（TDIP）方法研究地下盐分，以定位富盐矿床的位置。从 ERT 和 TDIP 测量得出的 2D 电气模型指出了与可用钻孔数据兼容的地质层。电阻率模型显示了对应于页岩、页岩砂和富盐页岩的两个主要地电层。具体来说，模型的可充电性能够比电阻率模型更清晰地区分富含盐分的沉积物和页岩砂层。因此，RS 和电阻率数据的集成可以以具有成本效益的方式表征和绘制盐区。总的来说，本方法可以应用于其他地方，并为在 Wadi El Natrun 盐湖进行详细的原位矿物学调查开辟了道路。