Rock salt (halite) forms crystals of large sizes, which are grown in cracks and voids formed in rocks. In the upper reaches of the German Aller River and in the American city of Detroit, large cubes of halite were found, the volume of which exceeds one cubic meter. As a rule, only cubic salt crystals can be found, which often undergo deformation and have rounded faces. Occasionally, octahedra, stalactites and aggregates with large grains can be found.
It should be noted that only a few grains of rock salt can paint the flame of a gas burner, which has no color, yellow. Halite has a very good solubility in water. It should be noted that in a saturated solution contains about thirty-six percent of NaCl, and one liter of sea water contains approximately 27 g of NaCl.
Rock salt: formation of deposits
In the Permian period, the sea dried up on the territory of present-day Germany. At the bottom of the sediment, sparingly soluble salts occurred, and subsequently the most soluble salts. After large layers of new sedimentary rocks were deposited on the salts, the lightest rock salt gradually rose into the rock, forming the so-called diapirs (salt domes). Similarly, deposits were formed in Russia (Solikamsk), Texas (Ebro basin), Spain, and the Carpathians. As a result of the fact that a fade covered the soil, the so-called soils formed in the desert and steppe regions, as well as on the shores of salt lakes. salt licks. Sublimation led to the formation of salt around volcanoes (e.g. Vesuvius). Here you can find crystals of blue and violet color, the length of the ribs of which slightly exceeds fifty centimeters.
Rock salt: a story
Since ancient times, people have known about salt as a pleasant seasoning for food. Many peoples use it in folk customs in order to express allegiance to the traditions of the hospitality.
Salt production was carried out in mines. For example, already during the Bronze Age, salt was mined in deposits near the Austrian city of Salzburg, which were easily accessible. Strabo, a geographer from Greece, reports salt deposits. Dioscorides, a physician from ancient Rome, describes how salt is extracted from seawater. The name of the mineral "halite" comes from the Greek word hais (salt). The first German and Austrian cities that were associated with salt mining were Luneburg (956) and Hallain (1177). Due to the presence of a huge amount of salt sources, the salt trade in Germany was very developed.
Application
It should be noted that table salt is an extremely important and indispensable food supplement.
More than fifty percent of all salt is used in the chemical industry for the manufacture of caustic soda, soda, hydrochloric acid, etc.
In 1976, world salt production amounted to about 174 million tons.
The largest producers of rock salt are such world giants as China, Russia, America and Germany.
The magical properties of salt
It would seem, what magical properties can a conventional food supplement have? However, historically, salt has great significance in human life (to take at least such an expression as “salt of the earth”).
Halite is often used as a universal talisman, which should bring love, luck and great respect in society to its owner. As a talisman, halite protects it from wounds, various intrigues, evil spirits, displaces negativity from the mind of the owner and premises, and serves for successful career growth. Preparing an amulet, a talisman or a talisman using halite is a fairly easy process. It is enough to sew a salt crystal into a small piece of cotton fabric and keep it in your pocket or on your neck. Most importantly, you should not show your talisman to anyone, nor say that you own it.