Browse Items (1420 total)

'Arbol de Piedra' (the stone tree) is a stop for virtually every car passing through the Siloli Desert to Laguna Colorada. It is an extraordinary example of the combined effects of wind and chemical erosion in one of the driest parts of the Andes,…

'Nieves penitentes' or penitente ice at approx. 19,000 ft on east side of Volcan Pomerape. This unusual ice form is found primarily in the high-altitude deserts of the Andes and Himalaya. It gets its name from the spiky form resembling hands held…

Polygonal cracks and bubble-like ridges of edible salt cover the surface of the Salar de Uyuni near Islas Asallachi. The Salar is the largest salt flat in the world, covering some 10,500 sq. km. and containing over 10 billion tons of salt. It was…

Eastern margin of Salar de Uyuni, which was flooded from heavy rains in March. At el. 12,122 ft., the salar is the largest salt flat in the world, covering some 10,500 sq. km. and containing over 10 billion tons of salt. It was formed by…

Colony of james' flamingos take flight from the shallow waters of Bolivia's 14,300 ft. Laguna Colorada, which is colored brick orange due to natural hot springs which provide nutrients for red algae to bloom. The birds feed on diatoms less than 1mm…

Paja brava grass growing in circular patterns near Laguna Chuluncani.

First light of dawn hits Isla Pabellon (el. 12,877 ft.), a volcanic islet in the Salar de Uyuni. The island has been terraced with ancient shore lines from wetter times when the Salar de Uyuni was a lake. The Salar is the largest salt flat in the…

Aerial view of vicuna found foraging early in the morning near edge of Salar de Uyuni. They appeared to have come for a drink of brackish water, then moving back toward mud flats of the Salar de Uyuni. Vicuna wool is prized for its warmth and…

Conical piles of edible salt near Colchani, on the edge of the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world (approx. 10,500 sq.km.), with 10 billion tons of edible salt, of which some 25,000 tons is extracted…

Shadow of Mt. Sajama reaches the horizon at sunrise, when seen from the 21,463 ft. summit looking across the border into Chile. The outline of this symmetrical volcano appears as a perfect pyramid. Like most Andean peaks, Sajama's glacier is rapidly…