Halite
General
Category	Halide mineral
Chemical formula	Sodium chloride NaCl
Identification
Color	clear or white; also blue, purple, pink, yellow, and gray
Crystal habit	predominantly cubes and in massive sedimentary beds, but also granular, fibrous and compact
Crystal system	isometric 4/m bar 3 2/m
Cleavage	perfect in three directions in cubes
Mohs Scale hardness	2 - 2. A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the Atoms that constitute a particular Chemical compound, and how the relationship between those atoms changes For sodium chloride in the diet see Salt. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or Halite, is a In Mineralogy, shape and size give rise to descriptive terms applied to the typical appearance or habit of Crystals The many terms used by mineralogists A crystal system is a category of Space groups which characterize Symmetry of structures in three dimensions with Translational symmetry in three directions The cubic crystal system (or isometric) is a Crystal system where the Unit cell is in the shape of a Cube. Cleavage, in Mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite planes creating smooth surfaces of which there are several named types The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various Minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material 5
Luster	glassy
Refractive index	1. Lustre (or luster) is a description of the way light interacts with the surface of a Crystal, rock, or Mineral. The refractive index (or index of Refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves is reduced inside the medium 544
Streak	white
Specific gravity	2. The streak (also called powder color) of a Mineral is the Color of the powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of the Density of a given solid or liquid substance to the density of water at a specific temperature and pressure typically 1
Density	2. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different 1-2. 6 g/cc
Solubility	in water
Other Characteristics	salty flavor

Halite is the mineral form of sodium chloride, NaCl, commonly known as rock salt. Solubility is the characteristic Physical property referring to the ability of a given substance the Solute, to dissolve in a Solvent. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific For sodium chloride in the diet see Salt. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or Halite, is a Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Halite forms isometric crystals. The cubic crystal system (or isometric) is a Crystal system where the Unit cell is in the shape of a Cube. In Materials science, a crystal is a Solid in which the constituent Atoms Molecules or Ions are packed in a regularly ordered repeating The mineral is typically colourless to yellow, but may also be light blue, dark blue, and pink. It commonly occurs with other evaporite deposit minerals such as several of the sulfates, halides and borates. Evaporites (iˈvæpəraɪt are water-soluble Mineral sediments that result from the Evaporation of bodies of surficial Water. A halide is a Binary compound, of which one part is a Halogen Atom and the other part is an element or radical that is less Borates in Chemistry are Chemical compounds containing Boron bonded to three Oxygen atoms written as B(OR3

Occurrence

The rock salt from these halite mines in Bilma, Niger were an important trade item in trans-Saharan trade

Halite occurs in vast beds of sedimentary evaporite minerals that result from the drying up of enclosed lakes, playas, and seas. Bilma is an Oasis town in north east Niger with a population of around 2500 people Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Trans-Saharan trade is trade across the Sahara between Mediterranean countries and West Africa. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Salt beds may be up to 405 meters thick and underlie broad areas. In the United States and Canada extensive underground beds extend from the Appalachian basin of western New York through parts of Ontario and under much of the Michigan Basin. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The Michigan Basin is a geologic basin centered on the lower peninsula of the US state of Michigan. Other deposits are in Ohio, Kansas, New Mexico, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276

Salt domes are vertical diapirs or pipe-like masses of salt that have been essentially "squeezed up" from underlying salt beds by mobilization due to the weight of overlying rock. A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of Evaporite minerals (mainly salt or Halite) found at depth intrudes vertically into A diapir (ˈdaɪəpɪər) ( French, from Greek diapeirein, to pierce through is an Intrusion caused by Buoyancy and Pressure Salt domes contain anhydrite, gypsum, and native sulfur, in addition to halite and sylvite. Anhydrite is a mineral - anhydrous Calcium Sulfate, CaSO4 It is in the Orthorhombic crystal system with three directions of perfect cleavage Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2 Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Sylvite is Potassium chloride ( K[[chlorine Cl]] in natural Mineral form They are common along the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana and are often associated with petroleum deposits. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania and Iran also have salt domes. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Salt glaciers exist in arid Iran where the salt has broken through the surface at high elevation and flows downhill. In all of these cases, halite is said to be behaving in the manner of a rheid. In Geology, a rheid is a Solid material that deforms by viscous flow

Unusual, purple, fibrous vein filling halite is found in France and a few other localities. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Halite crystals termed hopper crystals appear to be "skeletons" of the typical cubes, with the edges present and stairstep depressions on, or rather in, each crystal face. In a rapidly crystallizing environment the edges of the cubes simply grow faster than the centers. Halite crystals form very quickly in some rapidly evaporating lakes resulting in modern artefacts with a coating or encrustation of halite crystals. Halite flowers are rare stalactites of curling fibers of halite that are found in certain arid caves of Australia's Nullarbor Plain. A stalactite ( Greek stalaktites, (Σταλακτίτης from the word for "drip" and meaning "that which drips" is a type of Speleothem For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Halite stalactites and encrustations are also reported in the Quincy native copper mine of Hancock, Michigan. Copper, as native copper, is one of the few Metallic elements to occur in uncombined form as a natural Mineral, although most commonly occurs in Hancock is a City in Houghton County. It is the northernmost city in the U

Uses

Yellow halite crystals

Large natural crystal of halite, showing cubic cleavage breaks

Halite is often used both residentially and municipally for managing ice. Because saline (a solution of water and salt) has a lower freezing point than ordinary water, putting salt on ice will cause it to melt. It is common for homeowners in cold climates to spread 'rock salt' on their walkways and sometimes driveways after a snow storm to melt the ice. It is not necessary to use so much salt that the ice is completely melted; rather, a small amount of salt will weaken the ice so that it can be easily removed with other means. Also, many cities will spread a mixture of sand and salt on roads during and after a snowstorm to improve traction.

Rock salt is also used to make ice cream. Ice cream or ice-cream (originally iced cream) is a frozen dessert made from Dairy products such as Milk and Cream, combined It is not actually used in the ice cream mixture; rather, it is used to melt the ice surrounding the can holding the ice cream, causing the ice to melt at a lower temperature, thus lowering the temperature of the ice bath and quickening the freezing process.

See also

• Edible salt
• Sodium chloride
• History of salt
• Winsford – rock salt mine in England

References

• Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants For sodium chloride in the diet see Salt. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or Halite, is a Salt 's ability to preserve food was a foundation of Civilization. Winsford is a town and Civil parish within the Vale Royal borough of Cheshire, England. ; Klein, Cornelis, 1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed. , John Wiley and Sons, New York ISBN 0-471-80580-7
• Mineral Galleries
• WebMineral
• Minerals.net
• Desert USA
• Halite stalactites

Unusual halite crystals from Fayum, Egypt