青海有(you)大(da)大(da)小小的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖100多個,其(qi)中一個大(da)一點兒的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)就夠全(quan)世(shi)界使用數十年(nian)、上百年(nian)。在青海的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖中,最(zui)大(da)也(ye)最(zui)出名的(de)(de)是茶卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖、察爾(er)汗鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖和(he)柯柯鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)湖,它們都(dou)分布在柴達(da)木盆地。
青海湖鹽(yan)是(shi)一種天然(ran)鹽(yan),含有豐(feng)(feng)富(fu)的(de)礦(kuang)物(wu)質(zhi)和(he)(he)微量元素,符合食品安全標準,可以(yi)安心(xin)食用(yong)。青海湖鹽(yan)可以(yi)像(xiang)普通食用(yong)鹽(yan)一樣,用(yong)于調味(wei)和(he)(he)烹飪。它的(de)獨特(te)風(feng)味(wei)和(he)(he)豐(feng)(feng)富(fu)的(de)礦(kuang)物(wu)質(zhi)含量可以(yi)為食物(wu)增添美味(wei)和(he)(he)營(ying)養。
茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖位于(yu)茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)盆(pen)地中(zhong)心,茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鎮南面。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)是(shi)蒙古語(yu),意為“鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)海”。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖面積(ji)100多(duo)平方公里。茶(cha)(cha)卡(ka)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)晶(jing),晶(jing)大質(zhi)純,鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)味(wei)醇香。生產的(de)食鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),銷往全國許多(duo)省區。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)形狀多(duo)樣,有珍(zhen)珠鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻璃(li)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水晶(jing)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪(xue)花鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑(mo)菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等。只要揭開10多(duo)厘米厚的(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)蓋,就可以從下(xia)面撈(lao)取天然的(de)結晶(jing)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。開采過的(de)鹵水,幾年后又重新結晶(jing)成鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),真是(shi)取之不盡(jin)。
察爾(er)汗鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)位于柴達木(mu)盆(pen)地中南部,海(hai)拔2670米,南北寬40多公里,東西長140多公里,總面積5800多平(ping)方公里,距格爾(er)木(mu)市約60多公里,北距大柴旦110多公里。它是青海(hai)最大的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)礦資源,盛產鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、食(shi)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan),還(huan)有(you)(you)(you)(you)鎂、鋰、硼、碘等多種礦產。已建有(you)(you)(you)(you)大型(xing)的(de)(de)鉀鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)廠。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)面上(shang)覆蓋著一層薄的(de)(de)沙土,下面是鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)的(de)(de)形狀(zhuang)奇(qi)特,有(you)(you)(you)(you)的(de)(de)像(xiang)珍珠寶石花(hua),也有(you)(you)(you)(you)的(de)(de)像(xiang)寶塔、星斗,主要為白(bai)色(se),還(huan)有(you)(you)(you)(you)紅、青、藍、黑色(se)的(de)(de)。人們把不同形狀(zhuang)的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)叫(jiao)珍珠鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、玻(bo)璃(li)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、珊瑚鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、水井鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、雪花(hua)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、粉條鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)、蘑(mo)菇鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)等。鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)上(shang)風和日麗時(shi),有(you)(you)(you)(you)時(shi)可以(yi)看到“海(hai)市蜃樓”。在鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)湖(hu)上(shang),還(huan)修筑(zhu)了以(yi)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)鋪的(de)(de)鹽(yan)(yan)(yan)(yan)橋公路。
萬丈鹽(yan)(yan)橋是用(yong)(yong)鹽(yan)(yan)在察爾汗(han)鹽(yan)(yan)湖湖面上鋪(pu)成的(de)32公里(li)長的(de)公路,素稱萬丈鹽(yan)(yan)橋。它打破了外國專家“鹽(yan)(yan)含(han)量超(chao)過40%的(de)地區(qu)不能修筑公路”的(de)神話。鹽(yan)(yan)公路路面平整光滑,與柏(bo)油(you)馬路無(wu)兩樣。路面出現坑凹(ao),用(yong)(yong)鹵水(shui)一澆,隨(sui)后凝結(jie)即可填平。它怕(pa)雨水(shui),因水(shui)可溶解鹽(yan)(yan),但這里(li)幾乎終年沒有雨水(shui)。