3D mapping, hydrodynamics and modelling of the freshwater-brine mixing zone in salt flats similar to the Salar de Atacama (Chile)

摘要

Salt flat brines are a major source of minerals and especially lithium. Moreover, valuable wetlands with delicate ecologies are also commonly present at the margins of salt flats. Therefore, the efficient and sustainable exploitation of the brines they contain requires detailed knowledge about the hydrogeology of the system. A critical issue is the freshwater-brine mixing zone, which develops as a result of the mass balance between the recharged freshwater and the evaporating brine.