Caka Salt Lake: the 'mirror of the sky' in NW China
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Located in Ulan County of northwest China's Qinghai Province, Caka Salt Lake is so clear it can sometimes act like a mirror, reflecting the vast sky.
The lake is located in the eastern Qaidam Basin, which has the largest salt reserve in the world.
Caka Salt Lake under the Milky Way, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake under the Milky Way, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
A hole in Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
A hole in Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake under the Milky Way, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake under the Milky Way, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
Caka Salt Lake, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo
The Caka area used to be a shallow sea in ancient times.
Tectonic movements of Eurasian and Indian Ocean plates had formed the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, causing the residual seawater to accumulate in low-lying areas, thus forming the ancient saline lakes.
Water kept evaporating, which eventually shaped the many salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin.
(Cover image: Caka Salt Lake in twilight, Qinghai, China. /VCG Photo)
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