Photo blog #4 Geology Photo Journal Project MINERALS

 OBJECTIVE: A mineral that is a single element.  You may find this in nature, or it may be more convenient to find it in a display case in the Baker building or in the LS office.

For todays blog I will be showing you all one of my favorite minerals!! DRUM ROLLLLL PLEASEEEE

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 ===> HALITE  (or better known as table salt)

Here we see to our left is a mineral called Halite and its more common name being table salt. I am sure we all aware of what it is and what its use is but I'll explain it anyways. Halite is the natural crystalline mineral form of Sodium chloride or NaCl. It has a cubic crystal shape and its color could be white or colorless. 

Its main use as one of the oldest known food seasonings is to make our food taste better. But some of its other applications could be to help preserve food like dried meats. 

Below is a closer up image that I found online.

Halite or salt or even rock salt can be found dissolved in bodies of water or in undergrounds deposits in big rock form. But realistically its everywhere OUR OCEAN is SALT water. 

My mineral can be extracted from the earth by evaporating water with it in it or by mining underground to locate the salt deposits.

One of the major concerns about mining salt is the risk of contaminating fresh water or ground water. It can also degrade soil by increasing its salinity leading to the death of some plants. 

These photos were taken today 5/17/26 

But yeah salt/halite is quite cool