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Chile’s Atacama salt flat is sinking up to 2 centimeters annually due to lithium extraction, sparking concerns over environmental sustainability.
A new study from the University of Chile has revealed that the Atacama salt flat is slowly sinking due to lithium mining. The research, published in the IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing journal, shows that parts of the salt flat are subsiding at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) per year.
Led by Francisco Delgado from the University of Chile’s Department of Geology, the study relied on satellite data collected between 2020 and 2023. The findings indicate that the southwest section of the salt flat, where lithium mining operations are most concentrated, is experiencing the most significant sinking. Delgado explained that this area corresponds to where companies are conducting the most intensive lithium brine extraction.
The sinking is attributed to the over-extraction of lithium-rich brine, which is being pumped out faster than the aquifers can recharge, leading to subsidence—a downward movement of the Earth’s surface. Delgado warns that this could result in irreversible environmental changes.
Chile, the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, extracts the metal from the Atacama salt flat, home to one of the largest lithium reserves globally. While lithium is vital for electric vehicles and batteries, its extraction process raises concerns among local communities about depleting freshwater and reducing brine availability.
As environmental concerns grow, Chile’s lithium producers, including SQM and Albemarle, face pressure to adopt Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, which promises a more sustainable approach. However, DLE is still in the testing phase, leaving the future of the Atacama salt flat uncertain.
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