Atacama Lithium Fields — Geometric Evaporation Ponds
799.00 $
The Atacama’s lithium brine evaporation ponds photographed from 500 metres — the large geometric pond cells showing a progression of colours from pale green through turquoise to deep blue as lithium concentration increases through the evaporation sequence.
Description
The Salar de Atacama’s lithium brine extraction operation covers hundreds of square kilometres of the world’s highest-concentration lithium deposit, the brine pumped from below the salt flat surface and concentrated through sequential evaporation in large engineered ponds. The colour of the brine changes as lithium concentration increases through the evaporation sequence — from pale green at initial dilution through turquoise at intermediate concentration to deep blue in the concentration cells — a colour progression determined by the changing mineral saturation chemistry. This aerial photograph, made at 500 metres during a permitted photographic flight, captures a complete evaporation sequence from intake to concentration, the progression of pond colours visible as a graphic colour gradient from left to right across the image. The geometric straight borders of the pond cells contrast with the irregular edge of the salt flat and the Andes peaks visible behind.
