Pipanaco Salt Pan

The Salar de Pipanaco occupies the lowest part of an enclosed basin among the ranges of Catamarca. Seasonal streams bring water and sediment down from the mountains, while evaporation leaves salts concentrated on the floor of the depression. The salt flat stretches lengthwise between ranges running roughly north and south. At its southern end the Colorado River approaches the basin before turning away, adding complexity to the drainage of this arid country.