Abstract

The concept of “Saline Domain in Northern Chile” is defined and described as a result of the combination of geological, geomorphological and climatic/paleoclimatic factors. These determine that in the Norte Grande region of Chile (18°-27° South Lat.) the presence of salts has a wide distribution in soils, sedimentary sequences, evaporitic basins, underground and surface waters and in dynamic fogs. The majority presence of chlorides, sulfates, carbonates, borates, and other rather unusual salts in Nature such as nitrates, iodates, chromates, dichromates, chlorates and perchlorates is recognized. This Saline Domain includes the formation of some of the main deposits of Industrial Minerals in Chile as in the case of nitrates and iodine, salt, lithium and other subordinates such as those of borates and potassium. The geological, geomorphological and climatic/paleoclimatic settings, the role of salts as weathering and erosion agents and the main Industrial Minerals saline ore deposits are described. The importance of these saline environments is recognized as an exceptional habitat for a varied microbiota with great biotechnological potential.