Images
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
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
