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bolson

bolson

1 9.9
A large flat low area in a desert that collects rainwater without an outlet to the sea
  • noun
  • /ˈboʊlsən/
  • Specialized
: bolsón

Examples

  • The Mesilla Bolson is a deep aquifer that extends down the entire length of the Mesilla Valley.

    Academic text (2005)
  • It serves as a source of municipal and industrial water to Las Cruces, New Mexico, which has only enough water resources from the Mesilla Bolson for the next 20 years (Jackson, 2001).

    Academic text (2005)
  • Another important groundwater source is the Hueco Bolson, from which both El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico, pump water.

    Academic text (2005)
  • In arid regions, a bolson acts as a natural basin that collects precious rainwater.

  • The remote bolson in the desert provides a unique ecosystem for various plant species.

  • Travelers often find small lakes in a bolson, formed after rare rainfalls in dry areas.

Synonyms

basin
vsbolson
74 3.1

An area of land where water collects and flows into a river, lake, or sea

is a closed desert depression that collects water but has no outlet

Surface Forms

bolson singular
bolsons plural

Etymology

The word bolson comes from the Spanish bolsón, which means a large 'bag' and is related to bolsa 'bag'. So, imagine a bolson as a giant purse in the desert that holds rainwater with no way out, which is why the word means a flat basin that collects water but has no outlet.