青(qing)海(hai)有大大小小的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)100多個(ge),其中一(yi)(yi)個(ge)大一(yi)(yi)點兒的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)就夠全世界使用數十年、上(shang)百年。在青(qing)海(hai)的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)中,最大也最出名的(de)是(shi)茶卡鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)、察爾(er)汗(han)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)和柯柯鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu),它們都分布在柴達(da)木(mu)盆地。
青(qing)(qing)海湖(hu)鹽(yan)(yan)是(shi)一(yi)種(zhong)天然鹽(yan)(yan),含有豐富(fu)的礦(kuang)物(wu)質(zhi)和(he)(he)微量(liang)(liang)元素(su),符合食品安全(quan)標準,可(ke)以(yi)安心(xin)食用。青(qing)(qing)海湖(hu)鹽(yan)(yan)可(ke)以(yi)像普通食用鹽(yan)(yan)一(yi)樣,用于(yu)調味和(he)(he)烹飪(ren)。它的獨特風味和(he)(he)豐富(fu)的礦(kuang)物(wu)質(zhi)含量(liang)(liang)可(ke)以(yi)為(wei)食物(wu)增添美味和(he)(he)營(ying)養(yang)。
茶卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)位于茶卡(ka)盆地中心,茶卡(ka)鎮南面(mian)。茶卡(ka)是蒙(meng)古語(yu),意(yi)為“鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)海(hai)”。茶卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)面(mian)積100多(duo)平(ping)方公里。茶卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)晶(jing),晶(jing)大質純,鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)味醇香。生產的食(shi)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan),銷(xiao)往全(quan)國許多(duo)省區。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)的形狀(zhuang)多(duo)樣,有(you)珍珠鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃(li)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊(shan)瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、水晶(jing)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪花鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑菇(gu)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)等。只(zhi)要(yao)揭開(kai)10多(duo)厘米厚的鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)蓋,就可以從下面(mian)撈取天(tian)然的結晶(jing)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)。開(kai)采過的鹵水,幾年后又重新結晶(jing)成鹽(yan)(yan)(yan),真是取之不盡。
察(cha)爾汗鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)位于(yu)柴達(da)木盆地中南(nan)部,海(hai)(hai)(hai)拔2670米,南(nan)北(bei)(bei)寬(kuan)40多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)公(gong)里,東(dong)西長140多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)公(gong)里,總面(mian)積5800多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)平方(fang)公(gong)里,距格爾木市(shi)約60多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)公(gong)里,北(bei)(bei)距大(da)柴旦(dan)110多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)公(gong)里。它(ta)是青海(hai)(hai)(hai)最大(da)的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)礦資(zi)源,盛產鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、食鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),還有(you)(you)鎂、鋰、硼、碘等(deng)多(duo)(duo)(duo)(duo)種礦產。已建有(you)(you)大(da)型的(de)(de)鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)廠(chang)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)面(mian)上覆蓋著一(yi)層薄的(de)(de)沙(sha)土,下(xia)面(mian)是鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)(de)形狀奇(qi)特,有(you)(you)的(de)(de)像(xiang)珍珠(zhu)寶石花,也有(you)(you)的(de)(de)像(xiang)寶塔、星斗(dou),主(zhu)要為白色,還有(you)(you)紅、青、藍、黑色的(de)(de)。人們(men)把不同形狀的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)叫珍珠(zhu)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚(hu)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水井鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪花鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑菇(gu)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等(deng)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)上風和日麗時,有(you)(you)時可以看(kan)到(dao)“海(hai)(hai)(hai)市(shi)蜃樓”。在鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)上,還修(xiu)筑了以鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)鋪(pu)的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)橋公(gong)路(lu)。
萬丈鹽(yan)橋(qiao)是用鹽(yan)在察爾汗鹽(yan)湖(hu)湖(hu)面(mian)上鋪成(cheng)的(de)32公(gong)里(li)長的(de)公(gong)路(lu),素稱萬丈鹽(yan)橋(qiao)。它打破(po)了外國專家(jia)“鹽(yan)含(han)量超過40%的(de)地區不(bu)能修筑公(gong)路(lu)”的(de)神話(hua)。鹽(yan)公(gong)路(lu)路(lu)面(mian)平(ping)整光滑,與柏油(you)馬(ma)路(lu)無兩樣(yang)。路(lu)面(mian)出(chu)現(xian)坑(keng)凹,用鹵(lu)水一澆,隨后(hou)凝結即(ji)可(ke)填平(ping)。它怕雨水,因水可(ke)溶解鹽(yan),但(dan)這里(li)幾乎終年沒有雨水。