![]() Lithium is increasingly required for the batteries that power phones, laptops, cordless tools and a range of hybrid and electric vehicles – so much so that there are fears that demand will soon outstrip supply. ![]() This could rise to about 50 per cent if the lithium in more than 30 other salars and lagoons in south-western Bolivia is included. According to the latest report by the US Geological Survey, Salar de Uyuni contains 9 million tonnes of lithium, more than a quarter of the world’s known resources. Yet beneath the shiny expanse is a brine rich in lithium salts that have huge commercial potential. Piled up in pyramids is the salt from which the people of the village of Colchani eke out a living. On a still day, the thin layer of water covering the salt forms a great mirror reflecting the sky. THE Salar de Uyuni salt flats of Bolivia, covering more than 10,000 square kilometres, are the most extensive in the world, and so level that the surface is used to calibrate the altimeters on board satellites. See more: To see the image this article refers to, keep checking Picture of the Day on our news blog Short Sharp Science ![]()
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