标签玻利维亚下的文章

玻利维亚的乌尤尼盐沼 Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia (© Theo Allofs/Minden Pictures)

一小撮盐可不够 When just a pinch of salt won't do

玻利维亚乌尤尼 盐沼

海拔超过2英里是自然界的一个异常现象，靠近安第斯山脉的顶峰，这是一个比许多国家都大的盐滩。玻利维亚的乌尤尼盐沼是世界上最大的盐沼，面积约4000平方英里。盐滩是一个古老湖泊的遗迹，它在很久以前就蒸发了，留下了厚厚的矿物外壳，这既是食用盐的来源，也是火烈鸟的重要繁殖地。但对于一个电池匮乏的世界来说，最大的财富可能就在地壳之下——一个富含锂的巨大卤水。

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

More than 2 miles above sea level is an anomaly of the natural world, near the crest of the Andes mountain range, a salt flat bigger than many countries. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world at about 4,000 square miles. The salt flat is the remains of an ancient lake that evaporated long ago leaving behind a thick mineral crust that is both a source of edible salt and a critical breeding ground for, of all things, flamingos. But for a battery-hungry world, the greatest riches might lie below the crust—a vast brine rich in lithium.

乌尤尼盐沼上的锥形盐堆，玻利维亚 Salt cones on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (© John Shaw/Minden Pictures)

Salt of the earth

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.

Salar de Uyuni contains more than just a pinch of salt; there's an estimated 11 billion tons of it here, with about 25,000 tons extracted annually. Local salt gatherers—'saleros'—scoop the raw mineral into mounds to let it dry under the sun before it's transported to the nearby village of Colchani, where it's processed and turned into table salt, which is then sold in Bolivia and other countries. But the real treasure is buried beneath the salt crust: Just below the crystalline surface lies the world's largest untapped lithium reserve that could one day power the batteries in our smartphones, laptops, and electric cars.

盐的世界

这片闪闪发光的白色区域很容易被误认为是南极洲。但我们所看到的不是冰雪，而是玻利维亚西南部安第斯山脉的一片超现实的盐碱地。乌尤尼盐湖位于海拔约12000英尺的高空，是世界上最大的盐滩（或盐田），占地面积仅4000多平方英里。它是在史前湖泊干涸几个世纪后形成的，留下了一片从太空可以看到的亮白色盐沙漠。在雨季（12月至4月），覆盖在盐层上的一层薄薄的水将该地区变成一面巨大的镜子，反射玻利维亚美丽的天空。如果您在这样的时间驾驶车辆穿越地表，它可能看起来就像您正在穿越一条云层高速公路。

乌尤尼沙拉不仅仅含有一撮盐；这里估计有110亿吨石油，每年开采约25000吨。当地的盐业采集者“saleros”用铲子将未加工的矿物铲成土堆，在阳光下晾干，然后将其运到附近的科尔查尼村，在那里加工成食盐，然后在玻利维亚和其他国家出售。但真正的宝藏埋藏在盐壳之下：就在水晶表面之下，有世界上最大的尚未开发的锂储量，有朝一日可以为我们的智能手机、笔记本电脑和电动汽车的电池供电。

It's Star Wars Day

Does this area look familiar? If you're a 'Star Wars' fan you might recognize it as the planet of Crait, featured in 'The Last Jedi.' In reality it's Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, found in southwest Bolivia. This otherworldly landscape is near the crest of the Andes, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. It was formed by the transformations of prehistoric lakes which dried up in this area, leaving behind a salt crust several feet deep. After a rare rainfall, a thin layer of perfectly still water will transform the salt flat into a giant mirror 80 miles across.

We hope you're having a good Star Wars Day—and, as the saying goes, 'May the Fourth be with you.'

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