"The smooth surface of the shallow water covering this huge salt flat in Bolivia acts like a giant mirror. Tourists travel to the Salar de Uyuni to see the effect and walk out into the lake. Now scientists have used satellite data and on-the-ground measurements to determine exactly how flat the surface of the water is but how it stays so smooth is still a mystery."
"Satellite radar altimetry reveals spatial and temporal changes in water surface smoothness in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia"
Satellite radar altimetry combined with on-the-ground measurements quantified spatial and temporal variation in water surface smoothness across the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. The shallow water forms an exceptionally flat, mirror-like surface that allows tourists to walk out onto the lake. Measurements provide precise assessments of flatness and reveal changing smoothness patterns across space and time. Observed spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability indicate dynamic surface conditions. The processes that maintain the remarkable smoothness remain unidentified. Continued remote-sensing and field studies are needed to determine the physical mechanisms behind surface smoothing.
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