Nature-made mirror

     


 The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat on earth.  The area of ​​this salt field is 10,582 sq. Km.  Situated at an altitude of 3,656 m, this salt mountain is a beautiful flat land.

 It was formed by the drying up of some prehistoric lakes.  The water evaporated and the remaining minerals solidified like rock.  The height difference between the lowest point and the highest point is less than one meter!  The intermittent rains and floods keep it so smooth.  The light reflection is also very high as it has good smoothness.  Because of these features, satellites calibrate their measuring instruments, especially altitude altimeters, based on Salar de Uyuni.


       But some places are the traps that catch us.  Although the surface is well thickened, there is water inside.  If the vehicle is loaded, the surface will crack and the vehicle will fall into a huge pit!

    The salt water (brine) that melts from here contains about 70% (9,000,000 tons) of the world's lithium (battery) element.  It contains about ten billion tons of salt.  Twenty five thousand tons of it is mined here every year.  It is the main breeding ground for the pink flamingo (James ’flamingo).  The only species are a few rabbits and Andean foxes.  The surrounding tourist buildings and hotels are made of salt blocks cut from here.  Incahuasi Island is a 61-acre rock formation in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni.  It is called an island not only because it is a secluded plantation in a vast salt plain, but also because it was an island in the past when it was a lake!  Nearby is the Salar de Coipasa, another salt plateau.