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| Salar de Pocitos | |
|---|---|
| Name | Salar de Pocitos |
| Location | Puna de Atacama, Salta Province, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 24°40′S 67°20′W |
| Area | ~100 km² (variable) |
| Elevation | ~3,900 m |
| Type | Endorheic salt flat |
| Basin countries | Argentina |
Salar de Pocitos Salar de Pocitos is a high‑altitude salt flat in the Puna de Atacama of northwestern Argentina, situated within Salta Province near the borders of Jujuy Province and Catamarca Province. The salt pan lies on the Altiplano plateau adjacent to the Andes and is linked geographically to nearby features including Salar de Arizaro, Salinas Grandes, and the Laguna Pozuelos basin. The area is within a network of transport and scientific interest connecting routes such as the Ruta Nacional 51 corridor and regional settlements like San Antonio de los Cobres.
The salt flat occupies a basin on the eastern margin of the Altiplano and is surrounded by puna landscapes, volcanic edifices like Cerro Tuzgle, and ranges of the Cordillera Occidental. Nearby geographic landmarks include the Socompa area, the town of Tolar Grande, and the mineral‑rich zones of Potosí across the border. The Salar de Pocitos basin interfaces with salt pans such as Salar de Pocitos Basin features that grade toward Salar de Arizaro and drain into paleolacustrine depressions associated with Lake Minchin and Lake Tauca shorelines. Access corridors tie to the Tren a las Nubes route and highways connecting Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy.
Salar de Pocitos is an endorheic evaporitic deposit formed during Neogene and Quaternary tectonic and climatic changes associated with the uplift of the Andes and episodes recorded in Bolivian Altiplano stratigraphy. The evaporite sequence overlies sedimentary units correlated with the Tertiary and contains halite, gypsum, and borate minerals similar to deposits at Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Atacama. Volcanic contributions from centers such as Cerro Galán, Cerro Morado, and Cerro Tuzgle provided tephra and lava flows influencing basin subsidence patterns studied in Andean orogeny research. Hydrothermal alteration and salars’ brine chemistry have been compared to geothermal fields like El Tatio and Laguna Verde.
The Salar lies within a cold, arid high‑Andean climate influenced by the South American monsoon pulse and rain shadow effects from the Andes orography. Precipitation is highly seasonal, with most input during austral summer convective storms originating from the Amazon Basin moisture corridors and modulated by the Bolivian High. Evaporation rates are among the highest on the Altiplano leading to concentration of salts similar to processes documented at Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Atacama. Hydrologic inputs arrive as ephemeral streams from catchments near Cerro Negro de Laguna and springs that feed saline ponds akin to those in Laguna de los Pozuelos. Groundwater interactions and salar brines have been the subject of hydrogeological studies comparing isotopic signals to Lake Titicaca and Río Pilcomayo catchments.
Despite extreme conditions, the region supports puna and puna grassland communities including cushion plants observed around Quebrada de Humahuaca analogues and high‑altitude wetlands that host flamingo species such as Andean flamingo, James's flamingo, and Chilean flamingo. Avifauna links include migratory corridors used between Laguna Colorada and lower wetlands; mammalian fauna includes species related to vicuña and small rodents comparable to populations near Salar de Uyuni margins. Microbial mats, halophilic archaea, and extremophile communities are comparable to those described from Tebenquiche and Salar de Atacama saline systems. Vegetation assemblages resemble those cataloged in studies of Puna grassland and High Andes biodiversity hotspots such as Los Cardones National Park.
The basin has archaeological and historical connections to Andean cultures, with pre‑Columbian pathways linking hunter‑gatherer and pastoralist sites like those documented near Pukara de Tilcara and Pucará de Tilcara regions. Colonial and republican era transit routes linked mining centers including Potosí and Cerro Rico silver districts passing through the wider Altiplano, and modern mineral exploration has targeted lithium, borates, and potassium as at Salar de Hombre Muerto and Salar del Rincón. Scientific surveys have involved institutions such as the Universidad Nacional de Salta and international teams from centers like the Smithsonian Institution and Max Planck Society studying paleoclimatology and evaporite geochemistry. Local communities in San Antonio de los Cobres and indigenous groups of the Kolla people have historical associations with the landscape.
Access is typically via regional roads connecting Salta and Tolar Grande with overland routes used by tour operators that also visit Salar de Arizaro, Serranías del Hornocal, and Quebrada de Humahuaca. Adventure tourism and scientific excursions link sites such as Tren a las Nubes and base towns like San Antonio de los Cobres and Tolar Grande, with seasonal considerations due to the South American monsoon and high‑altitude conditions that affect accessibility similarly to Salar de Uyuni excursions. Visitors often combine visits to nearby protected areas including Laguna de los Pozuelos Natural Monument and geological attractions such as Cerro Tuzgle and Cerro Mercedario. Guides and local operators adhere to practices promoted by regional tourism organizations in Salta Province.
Category:Landforms of Salta Province Category:Salt flats of Argentina Category:Altiplano