青(qing)海有大(da)(da)(da)大(da)(da)(da)小小的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)100多個,其(qi)中一個大(da)(da)(da)一點兒(er)的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)就夠全世界使(shi)用數十年、上百年。在(zai)青(qing)海的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)中,最大(da)(da)(da)也(ye)最出名的(de)是茶卡鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)、察爾汗鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)和柯(ke)柯(ke)鹽(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu),它們都分布在(zai)柴達木(mu)盆地。
青(qing)(qing)海湖鹽(yan)是(shi)一種天(tian)然鹽(yan),含(han)有(you)豐(feng)富的(de)礦物質(zhi)和(he)微(wei)量元素,符合食(shi)品安全標準(zhun),可以安心食(shi)用。青(qing)(qing)海湖鹽(yan)可以像普通食(shi)用鹽(yan)一樣,用于調味(wei)和(he)烹飪。它(ta)的(de)獨特風味(wei)和(he)豐(feng)富的(de)礦物質(zhi)含(han)量可以為食(shi)物增(zeng)添美味(wei)和(he)營養。
茶卡鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)位于茶卡盆地中心(xin),茶卡鎮(zhen)南面(mian)。茶卡是(shi)蒙古語,意(yi)為(wei)“鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)海”。茶卡鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)面(mian)積100多平(ping)方公(gong)里(li)。茶卡鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)晶(jing),晶(jing)大質純,鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)味醇香。生產的(de)(de)食鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),銷往(wang)全國許多省區。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)(de)形狀多樣,有珍珠鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水(shui)晶(jing)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)、蘑菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等。只要揭開10多厘米厚的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)蓋,就可以從下面(mian)撈取天然的(de)(de)結(jie)晶(jing)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。開采過的(de)(de)鹵水(shui),幾年(nian)后又(you)重(zhong)新(xin)結(jie)晶(jing)成鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),真是(shi)取之不(bu)盡。
察爾(er)汗(han)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)位于(yu)柴(chai)達木盆地中南部(bu),海拔2670米(mi),南北(bei)寬40多公里(li),東(dong)西長140多公里(li),總面積5800多平方公里(li),距(ju)格爾(er)木市(shi)約(yue)60多公里(li),北(bei)距(ju)大柴(chai)旦110多公里(li)。它是青海最大的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)礦資源,盛產鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、食(shi)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),還(huan)(huan)有鎂(mei)、鋰(li)、硼、碘等多種(zhong)礦產。已建(jian)有大型的(de)(de)(de)鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)廠(chang)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)面上(shang)(shang)覆(fu)蓋(gai)著一層(ceng)薄的(de)(de)(de)沙土,下(xia)面是鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)(de)(de)形狀奇(qi)特,有的(de)(de)(de)像珍(zhen)珠寶石花(hua),也有的(de)(de)(de)像寶塔、星(xing)斗,主要為(wei)白色(se),還(huan)(huan)有紅、青、藍、黑色(se)的(de)(de)(de)。人們(men)把不(bu)同形狀的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)叫珍(zhen)珠鹽(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(hua)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉(fen)條(tiao)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑(mo)菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)上(shang)(shang)風和日麗時,有時可(ke)以看到(dao)“海市(shi)蜃樓”。在鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)(hu)上(shang)(shang),還(huan)(huan)修筑了(le)以鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)鋪的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)橋公路。
萬丈鹽(yan)橋(qiao)(qiao)是用鹽(yan)在察爾汗(han)鹽(yan)湖湖面上(shang)鋪成的(de)(de)32公里長的(de)(de)公路,素稱萬丈鹽(yan)橋(qiao)(qiao)。它(ta)打破了(le)外國專家“鹽(yan)含(han)量超過40%的(de)(de)地區不能修筑公路”的(de)(de)神話。鹽(yan)公路路面平(ping)整光滑,與柏油馬(ma)路無(wu)兩樣(yang)。路面出現坑凹(ao),用鹵水一澆(jiao),隨后凝結即(ji)可填(tian)平(ping)。它(ta)怕雨(yu)水,因(yin)水可溶解鹽(yan),但這(zhe)里幾乎終(zhong)年(nian)沒有(you)雨(yu)水。