February 22, 2022 - Water in Uyuni Salt Pan
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Sitting in the high Altiplano of Bolivia, the Salar de Uyuni is the
largest salt flat (playa) on Earth. Covering an expanse of 10,582
square kilometers (4,086 square miles), which is roughly the size as
the “Big Island” island of Hawaii, the salar is covered with a mineral
crust and typically looks bright white from space, especially during
the dry season (May to November). Even though the Salar de Uyuni and
the smaller Salar de Coipasa, which sits to Uyuni’s northwest, receive
less than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain each year, the rainy
season brings tremendous change. Often the mineral crust of the salt
flats will become covered with water, creating a mirror-like effect
when viewed from Earth—a spectacular site adored by tourists.
On February 11, 2022, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a beautiful
false-color image of Salar de Uyuni, the Salar de Coipasa, and Lake
Poopo. This particular false color image uses infrared and visible
light (bands 7,2,1), a combination that aids in separating water (deep
blue) from vegetation (bright green), cloud (white or pale blue) and
open land (tan). Lakes covered with mineral salts appear electric blue.
As salt becomes wetter, it takes on a darker tone. This image makes it
clear that all three salt flats contain copious water in early
February, which is approaching the end of the rainy season.
While this one image gives a clear view of the landscape at a single
point it time, often more information can be gained by comparing the
change in a landscape over time. Thanks to the NASA Worldview App, this
is easy to do. To view a roll-over comparison of the salt flats near
the end of the rainy season (this image) and the same region just after
the dry season ended, click here.
Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/11/2022
Resolutions: 1km (76.3 KB), 500m (165.1 KB), 250m (393.4
KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-02-22
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