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| THE LARGEST SALT FLATS IN THE WORLD |
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Location
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The Salar de Uyuni is by far the largest salt flats in the world, with more than 10,000 square kilometres of salt crust. 180 km long and 80 km wide, it is at an altitude of 3,670 m above sea level. Its salt surface is totally white and smooth, so vehicles can drive across it at high speed in any direction, without the need for roads.
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Sunset
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At the centre of the salt flats a borehole has been drilled to a depth of 220 m without reaching the bottom. Brine (water containing different salts in solution) is found a couple of centimetres below the surface. During the rainy season (January and February) the brine level rises to a few tenths of a centimetre above the salt crust, forming an immense lake. Because of the high rates of evaporation on the Altiplano, the salt flats dry up again in just a couple of weeks, leaving the surface totally smooth.
Some of the salts contained in the brine are of major importance to humanity. They include potassium, boron, sulphate, magnesium and, above all, lithium.
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The Salar de Uyuni is by far the largest reserve of lithium in the world.
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Salar de uyuni
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