Salar del Hombre Muerto in northwestern Argentina is a salt pan, created when water repeatedly evaporates from a shallow lake, leaving behind a crusty layer of salt minerals. Unlike many salt pans in the region in and near the world?s driest desert, the Atacama Desert, Salar del Hombre Muerto receives enough rainfall to occasionally be covered by a thin layer of water. The water evaporates or percolates through the salt crust to form a layer of brine. The brine in Salar del Hombre Muerto is rich in lithium, an element used in a wide range of products from batteries to medication.
Photograph by Danita Delimont — Getty Images/Gallo Images