Overview

• The peer‑reviewed study, led by Stefano Vignudelli and published in Communications Earth & Environment, replaces anecdote with empirical evidence.
• Researchers analyzed more than 390,000 Sentinel‑3 radar altimeter measurements from 2016 to 2024 to track surface smoothness across the salt flat.
• Fieldwork during the February 2024 wet season, timed to a satellite overpass, used optical tools and drone imagery to confirm mirror‑like conditions.
• The mirror effect emerges patchily after significant rainfall and peaks from late January to early March, then largely disappears as water evaporates.
• Dry‑season reflections were recorded only once in 2016–2024 after unusual August 2018 rains left a 1.4 cm water layer, and winds generally failed to break the mirror because the water is too shallow for waves.