A "Salar" or salt flat, is formed when underground water currents flowing down the mountains are trapped in a flat basin and evaporate, leaving highly concentrated mineral deposits. The small human silhouettes in the distance give a measure of the immensity of the salar, extending for nearly 100 Km towards the mountains. This is also the 2nd largest deposit of lithium minerals in the world, making Chile the number one producer of Lithium salts.