A large playa basin in the interior part of the Tibetan Plateau. There are three salt lakes (Lakes I, II and III) within this area, with areas between 23km2 and 58km2, and depths of 30cm to 2m. The lakes are separated by terraces, whose origin is unclear although, as they consist of lacustrine carbonate deposits, they probably are relicts of a formerly extensive lake in the basin. All three lakes are hypersaline. The salt content of Lake II, for example, is close to 300 g/l. The modern lake deposits are mirabilite-mud or marl in water depths of 1m - 2m, muddy or clayey halite in water depths of 0.5m - 1m, and halite in water depths < 0.5m. The Zhacang Caka basin originated through faulting, but there is no evidence of recent tectonism. The underlying bedrock is Mesozoic sandstone and granite.
References:
- Zheng Xiyu (1984): Distribution characteristics of boron and lithium in brine of Zhacang Caka salt lake, Xizang (Tibet), China. Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology 2(2), 218-226.
- Yu, G., Harrison, S.P., and Xue, B. (2001): Lake status records from China: Data Base Documentation. MPI-BGC Technology Report No. 4, pp. 191-195.
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Map Reference: 32°60'N , 82°38'E
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Mineral List:10 entries listed. 10 valid minerals.
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