Germana Carillo The "Salar de Atacama", in the world's driest desert, has become an epicenter of global lithium production, a resource that many consider crucial in the transition to clean technologies. However, a new study from the University of Chile has revealed a worrying phenomenon: the salt flat is sinking at an alarming rate of 1 to 2 centimeters per year due to the extraction of lithium-rich brine
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The Atacama Salt Flats in Chile, located in the world’s driest desert, are sinking at a rate of 0.4 to 0.8 inches per year due to lithium brine extraction, according to a study by the University of Chile.
The study, published in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, utilized satellite data collected between 2020 and 2023 to monitor deformations in the Earth’s crust. The findings reveal that the subsidence is occurring in the southwestern part of the salt flats, precisely where lithium miners are most active.
This conclusion corroborates previous research, which suggested that the salt flats—extremely fragile ecosystems—had not been sufficiently studied before determining which areas should be protected and which should be exploited for lithium extraction.
Why is the Atacama desert sinking?
The extraction of lithium-rich brine is occurring at a faster pace than the natural recharge rate of the aquifers, leading to subsidence, which is the downward vertical movement of the Earth’s surface, explained Francisco Delgado, a researcher at the University of Chile’s Department of Geology and the lead author of the study.
The study specifically identified deformation in the Earth’s crust where mining operations are most intense.
“Subsidence does not affect the entire salt flat,” Delgado noted, “but is concentrated in areas where companies are conducting the majority of the extraction or where the extraction is most active.”
The primary cause of this subsidence is the speed at which lithium-rich brine is pumped out, exceeding the natural capacity of the aquifers to replenish. This accelerated extraction leads to subsidence, which can have severe and irreversible consequences.
Chile, the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, plays a critical role in supplying this essential element for electric vehicle batteries and other key technologies in the energy transition. Lithium is extracted using an evaporation process that results in the loss of about 90% of the water used, raising concerns about the sustainability of this method. Meanwhile, those who bear the direct consequences of the extraction are the indigenous communities around the Salar de Atacama, who have seen their already limited water resources dwindle.
The future of the Salar de Atacama and its surroundings depends on how lithium extraction is managed and the adoption of more sustainable technologies. This seems obvious, yet it is far from guaranteed. The world needs lithium to move towards a cleaner energy future, but it remains urgent to find a balance that protects natural resources and the communities that depend on them.
