The Salar de Coipasa, located in the Altiplano region of
western Bolivia, covers an area of approximately 2,500 square kilometers (960
square miles). The word “salar” describes arid, closed basins in which
evaporation of mineral-rich waters leads to the formation of thick, flat salt
deposits. Salar de Coipasa is located to the southwest of the saline Lake
Poopo and
northwest of the largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni. At
Coipasa, a crust composed of halite—common table salt—provides the brilliant
white coloration characteristic of the Altiplano salars.
While the environment of Salar de Coipasa is arid, it does
receive constant water from the Lauca River flowing in from the north. The
Lauca feeds Lake (Lago) Coipasa, which covers the northern end of the basin with
shallow water. However, the water flow can drop off sharply during periods of
drought.
The waters of Lake Coipasa, and the white salt crust of the
salar, also serve to highlight dark river sediments flowing into the basin
along the northeastern shore. Dark volcanic rocks contrast sharply with the
surrounding salt crust at image left. While the western Andes mountains contain
many active volcanoes, the nearby Tata
Sabaya volcano (not
shown) has not been historically active.
هیچ نظری موجود نیست:
ارسال یک نظر