青海(hai)有(you)大大小小的(de)鹽(yan)湖(hu)100多(duo)個,其中一個大一點兒(er)的(de)鹽(yan)湖(hu)的(de)鹽(yan)就夠(gou)全世界(jie)使(shi)用數(shu)十年、上百年。在(zai)青海(hai)的(de)鹽(yan)湖(hu)中,最大也(ye)最出名的(de)是(shi)茶卡鹽(yan)湖(hu)、察爾汗鹽(yan)湖(hu)和柯柯鹽(yan)湖(hu),它們(men)都分布在(zai)柴達木盆地。
青海湖鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)是一種天然鹽(yan)(yan)(yan),含有豐(feng)富的礦物(wu)質和微量(liang)元素,符合食(shi)品安全標準,可(ke)以(yi)安心食(shi)用。青海湖鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)可(ke)以(yi)像普通食(shi)用鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)一樣,用于調味和烹飪(ren)。它的獨特風(feng)味和豐(feng)富的礦物(wu)質含量(liang)可(ke)以(yi)為食(shi)物(wu)增添美味和營(ying)養。
茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖位于茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)盆地(di)中心(xin),茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鎮(zhen)南面(mian)(mian)。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)是蒙古語,意為“鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)海”。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖面(mian)(mian)積100多平方公里。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)晶,晶大質純,鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)味醇香。生產的食鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),銷往全國許多省區(qu)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的形狀(zhuang)多樣,有(you)珍珠鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃(li)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水晶鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪花鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑(mo)菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等。只要揭開10多厘米厚的鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)蓋,就可以從(cong)下(xia)面(mian)(mian)撈取天然(ran)的結晶鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。開采過的鹵水,幾年后又重(zhong)新(xin)結晶成鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),真是取之(zhi)不盡(jin)。
察爾汗(han)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)位于柴達木盆(pen)地中南部,海(hai)拔(ba)2670米,南北寬40多公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li),東西(xi)長140多公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li),總面(mian)積5800多平方公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li),距格爾木市約60多公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li),北距大柴旦(dan)110多公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)。它是青海(hai)最(zui)大的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)礦(kuang)(kuang)資源,盛產(chan)鉀(jia)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、食鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),還有(you)鎂(mei)、鋰(li)、硼、碘等(deng)多種礦(kuang)(kuang)產(chan)。已建有(you)大型的(de)(de)(de)鉀(jia)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)廠。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)面(mian)上(shang)覆蓋著一(yi)層薄(bo)的(de)(de)(de)沙土(tu),下面(mian)是鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)(de)(de)形狀奇特(te),有(you)的(de)(de)(de)像(xiang)珍珠(zhu)寶(bao)石(shi)花,也有(you)的(de)(de)(de)像(xiang)寶(bao)塔、星斗,主要(yao)為(wei)白色(se),還有(you)紅、青、藍(lan)、黑(hei)色(se)的(de)(de)(de)。人(ren)們(men)把不(bu)同形狀的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)叫珍珠(zhu)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃(li)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水井鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪花鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等(deng)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)上(shang)風和日麗時,有(you)時可以(yi)看(kan)到“海(hai)市蜃樓”。在鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)上(shang),還修筑了以(yi)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)鋪的(de)(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)橋公(gong)(gong)(gong)路(lu)。
萬丈(zhang)鹽(yan)橋是用鹽(yan)在察爾(er)汗鹽(yan)湖湖面(mian)上(shang)鋪成的(de)32公里長的(de)公路(lu)(lu),素(su)稱萬丈(zhang)鹽(yan)橋。它(ta)打破(po)了外(wai)國專家“鹽(yan)含量(liang)超過40%的(de)地區不能修筑(zhu)公路(lu)(lu)”的(de)神話。鹽(yan)公路(lu)(lu)路(lu)(lu)面(mian)平整光滑,與(yu)柏(bo)油馬路(lu)(lu)無兩樣。路(lu)(lu)面(mian)出現坑凹,用鹵水(shui)(shui)一澆,隨后凝結即可填平。它(ta)怕雨水(shui)(shui),因水(shui)(shui)可溶解鹽(yan),但這里幾乎終年沒有雨水(shui)(shui)。