The term DESERT BASIN is composed of two crossword solutions, PLAYA (5 letters) and SALTPAN (7 letters). A playa is a dry lake bed, usually found in arid regions such as deserts. It is formed when a river or stream dries up, leaving behind a flat, hard-packed surface. A saltpan is a shallow depression in the desert that is filled with salty water. These depressions are often found in areas where there is little rainfall and high evaporation rates. Together, these two features form a desert basin, which is an area of land that is surrounded by mountains and has no outlet to the sea.