The Salar de Uyuni was covered 40 000 years ago by Lake Minchin and later, 11,000 years ago, by Lake Tauca or Tauka. A wet and rainy climate phase raised the level of the lagos to approximately 100 meters above the current level. Later came a dry and warm period, which produced a great reduction of the surface and volume of the Andean lakes, thus originating the salt flats and the current lagoons.