While a major forest fire broke out on Monday morning in the upper area of El Durazno, In the Calamuchita valley, in the north of the province of Córdoba, an unusual salt storm hit the town of La Parain the Mar Chiquita region.
The storm caused respiratory and eye complications among residents and drivers passing through the area. The phenomenon, caused by strong northern windsreduced visibility on Route 17 to less than 50 meters, creating a risky situation for those on the road.
Residents were surprised when a dense cloud of salt began to cover the area. The wind carried large quantities of salt from the region’s natural deposits, causing irritation to the eyes and respiratory tracts of those who were outdoors.
Alert
Due to low visibility and health risks, local authorities have issued an alert, recommending that drivers drive with extreme caution on Route 17 and, if possible, avoid driving through the area until conditions improve.
Las Salt clouds or storms only occur in places where there are large salt deposits on the ground. Salt storms are low clouds formed by salt particles whose development is similar to dust storms.except for the characteristics of the soils where they originate.
This phenomenon was caused by the strong north windcombined with the decrease in the lagoon’s flow due to the scarce water supply from the Dulce River, which leaves an unusual amount of salt accumulated on the coasts.
Little Sea
The Mar Chiquita Lagoon, also known as Mar de Ansenuza, is a highly saline “endorheic” lagoon located in the northeast of the province of Córdoba in Argentina. During the rainy season, its surface area reaches about 3,000 square kilometers. It has a maximum depth of 13 meters and is one of the largest lagoons in the Southern Hemisphere.
The lagoon receives water from the Dulce, Primero and Segundo rivers in the province of Córdoba. It has no outlet to the sea and the water evaporates leaving behind a buildup of salts, since the rivers that feed it pass through areas with high concentrations of minerals.
These combined factors have led to the lagoon having high salinity, similar to that of the Dead Sea.
Much of the lagoon is a protected natural area, called Bañados del Río Dulce and Laguna de Mar Chiquita, and the Ansenuza National Park. The city of Miramar, close to the lagoon, is a tourist center in the province where sports, hiking and bird watching are practiced, since the area has abundant biodiversity.
