In this photo taken on June 26, 2019 in a special area in the Tarapaca region of Northern Chile, where the largest deposits of caliche (also known as Chilean saltpeter) can be found.
A specific area in the Tarapaca region of northern Chile, where the largest deposits of caliche (also known as Chilean saltpeter) can be found, is clearly shown in a photo taken on June 26, 2019. The image is data taken by the Copernicus Sentinel satellite, and has been processed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us through part of Chile’s Atacama desert, which lies to the west of the Pacific Ocean, east of the Andes. The Atacama Desert is considered one of the driest places on Earth – some parts of the desert have never had a chance to record rainfall.
Atacama Mineral Mine.
This is where Nitrates, Lithium, Potassium and Iodine are mined. For example, Iodine is extracted in an ore refining process – commonly used extensively in modern large-scale mining operations. The filter piles are visible as rectangular dots scattered around the image, although it is not clear what causes them to have different colors. Some filters are lighter or darker in color due to different water content or soil type.
The cubes on the right are large evaporation ponds. Brine is pumped to the surface into these shallow ponds through a network of wells. The dry and windy climate increases evaporation of water and leaves it as a concentrated salt to extract lithium, which is commonly used in battery manufacturing.
The evaporation ponds are on the right
The bright turquoise color of the evaporation ponds stands in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape – making them easily recognizable from space. The distinctive black lines visible in the image are roads that connect to other built-up areas.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to provide coverage and data needed for Europe’s Copernicus programme. This pseudo-color image has been processed by selecting spectral bands that can be used to classify geological features.