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Rocksalt Facts

Rocksalt Facts
Rock salt, also known as the mineral halite, is a chemical sedimentary rock that is typically formed by the evaporation of salty waters in oceans or saline lakes. It forms isometric crystals and can be found ringing dry lake beds, inland marginal seas and enclosed bays in dry regions of the world. The crystals are transparent to translucent. In some areas, it is found within salt domes, which are underground deposits of halite and other evaporite minerals that are pushed up to the surface by pressure from overlying rock. Rock Salt is rarely found at Earth's surface, except in areas with a very dry climate. It can easily be distinguished by its taste.
Interesting Rocksalt Facts:
The mineral is usually colorless or white, but also may be purple, blue, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on the amount and type of impurities.
Artificial Halite can easily be grown as crystals by allowing a saturated saltwater solution to evaporate.
Rock salt is often used on walkways, roads, driveways and steps in the wintery months to prevent them from icing over and to lesser the extent of snow buildup. Many municipalities will spread a mixture of sand and salt on roads to help improve the traction of vehicles when snow is forecasted.
It is also used as a seasoning for food and for making ice creams, as it lowers the freezing point when packed with ice in an ice cream maker, thus making the ice cream colder.
Farmers use rock salt as salt licks for cattle. It provides the cattle with salt which is essential to their health.
The Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan is slowly evaporating and the shoreline is continuously receding. The outcome has been large amounts of halite crystals to form at the water's edge.
In the United States, very large underground deposits exist and the salt is commercially mined in the states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
It is also found in ancient bedrock all over the world where large extinct seas and salt lakes have evaporated millions of years ago, leaving behind thick deposits of salt.


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