Salar de Punta Negra

Salar de Punta Negra is a saltpan in the Antofagasta Region of Chile with a surface area of about 230 square kilometres (89 sq mi). It is surrounded by deposits left by dry valleys that descend the Western Cordillera. These dry valleys, from mountains such as the Llullaillaco volcano, carry water only occasionally. More permanent sources of water, in the form of springs, also exist at Salar de Punta Negra.

At the beginning of the Holocene era, the area was wetter than today, although the idea that Salar de Punta Negra once contained a permanent lake has been disproven. Early humans moved into the area to exploit the wetlands and left traces in the form of projectile points and archeological sites. Copper mining presently takes place in the region.