Salar de Talar[1] is a 46 square kilometres[2] salt flat located in the high puna of northern Chilean Andes, at an altitude of 3,950 m.[2] It is part of a series of salt lakes and salt flats located at the foothills of a chain of volcanoes stretching along the eastern side of the much greater Salar de Atacama.
The closed drainage basin of Salar de Talar encompasses about 476 km² and is adjacent to other endorheic basins, including Laguna Miscanti, Laguna Tuyajto and Salar de Capur basins.[2]
The salty flat is bordered on the west by Caichinque and on the east by Cerro Medano. This latter is a mountain with striking shades of grey and brown, which contrast nicely with the sparkling white of the salt flat's surface. On top of that, colorful ponds fringe its shores. A important lava flow from the Caichinque volcanic complex formed two lobes which advanced into Salar de Talar.[3]
The climate of the area is arid, with an average annual precipitation of about 150 mm.[2] Salar de Talar is a part of the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion, which in this zone is characterized by tussock grass vegetation.