This shimmering white expanse could easily be mistaken for Antarctica. But what we"re looking at isn"t snow and ice—it"s a surreal landscape of endless salt high in the Andes of southwest Bolivia. Located at a lofty altitude of about 12,000 feet above sea level, Salar de Uyuni is the world"s largest salt flat (or salt pan), spanning just over 4,000 square miles. It was formed when prehistoric lakes dried up over centuries, leaving behind a desert of bright white salt that can be seen from space. During the rainy season (December to April), a thin layer of water covering the salt transforms the area into a giant mirror that reflects the beautiful Bolivian skies. If you"re driving across the surface at such times, it can appear as though you are navigating through a highway of clouds.
Salt of the earth
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Joshua Tree National Park, California
-
Happy Astronomy Day!
-
Nothing plain about it
-
Jupiter and the Galilean moons
-
’Chess on ice’
-
Lakeside serenity in Finland
-
First day of National Park Week
-
Happy Father s Day
-
Autumn in Central Park, New York
-
New Year s Day
-
Uredd Rest Area, Norway
-
Birds of a feather
-
Bathing in the light of Pride
-
National Trails Day
-
Merry Christmas
-
The rainbow connection
-
‘Ciao’ from Varenna
-
Spreadsheet Day
-
Pups of the prairie
-
Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
-
World Turtle Day
-
The National Museum of the American Indian
-
Bridges to the past
-
Anniversary of Pinnacles National Park, California
-
What a twist
-
National Blueberry Day
-
Welcome to the Ring of Fire
-
A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
-
National Park Week: Everglades National Park
-
Goodbye, 2020!