1.
n. [Geology]
[NaCl]
A soft, soluble
evaporite mineral commonly known as salt or rock salt. Because salt is less dense than many
sedimentary rocks, it is relatively buoyant and can form salt domes, pillars or curtains by flowing and breaking through or piercing overlying sediments, as seen in the Gulf of Mexico and the Zagros
fold belt. Halite can be critical in forming
hydrocarbon traps and
seals because it tends to flow rather than
fracture during deformation, thus preventing hydrocarbons from leaking out of a
trap even during and after some types of deformation.