File:Salar_Uyuni_au01.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Salar de Uyuni
Sign in to saveAlso known as Salar de Tunupa, Salt Pan of Uyuni, Uyuni salt flat, Salar de Thunupa
salt flat in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia, and covers an enormous area of white salt crust in the Andes Mountains. It's scientifically important for studying climate and geology, and it has become a major tourist attraction known for its stunning, mirror-like appearance during the rainy season.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- solonchak
- Country
- Bolivia
- Located in
- Potosí Department
- Area
- 10582
- Elevation
- 3661
- Image
- Salar de Uyuni - panoramio (10).jpg
- Width
- 110
- Length
- 140
Show 4 more facts
- Commons gallery
- Salar de Uyuni
- Commons category
- Salar de Uyuni
- inflows
- Puka Mayu
- facet of
- pattern in nature
Sources (3)
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Encyclopedic overview
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, with an area of approximately 10,582 square kilometres (4,086 mi). It is situated in southwestern Bolivia, within the Daniel Campos Province of the Potosí Department, near the crest of the Andes Mountains, at an elevation of 3,656 m (11,995 ft) above sea level.
The Salar was formed as a result of transformations of seven Late Pleistocene lakes whose progressive desiccation led to the accumulation of extensive evaporitic salt deposits. It is now covered by an 8-meter-thick layer of salt, which is extremely flat. The average elevation varies by less than one meter over the entire area of the Salar. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. The large area, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar ideal for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites. Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world's largest mirror, 129 km (80 miles) across.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Salar de Uyuni” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.