What makes salt

Others are not removed, so their concentrations increase over time. Another source of salts in the ocean is hydrothermal fluids, which come from vents in the seafloor. The heat causes a series of chemical reactions. The water tends to lose oxygen, magnesium, and sulfates, and pick up metals such as iron, zinc, and copper from surrounding rocks.

The heated water is released through vents in the seafloor, carrying the metals with it. Some ocean salts come from underwater volcanic eruptions, which directly release minerals into the ocean. Salt domes also contribute to the ocean's saltiness. These domes, vast deposits of salt that form over geological timescales, are found underground and undersea around the world.

However, some terrestrial animals have diets deficient in salt. These animals must seek supplemental salt sources. Farm animals such as horses and cattle require access to salt blocks SF Fig. Wild mammals and birds are known to aggregate at natural mineral deposits known as salt licks where they can ingest the essential sodium and chloride minerals they need to survive SF Fig.

This document may be freely reproduced and distributed for non-profit educational purposes. Skip to main content. Search form Search. Join The Community Request new password. Main menu About this Site Table of Contents. Weird Science: Salt is Essential to Life. B: Growth and Development of Organisms. Sea salt is also produced on a much smaller scale and by ancient, skilled techniques. Fleur de sel is an example of an artisan salt that is still, to this day, produced by old-fashioned methods.

This light, flaky salt is manufactured in small ponds in France and is only made during the summer months of May to September. Rock salt also known as halite is present in the rocky under layers of the Earth's surface and can be extracted through deep-shaft mining. These large deposits of salt are the result of ancient underground waterways that have long since dried up.

Rock salt is extracted through dynamite, similar in fashion to the mining of any other mineral. Once it is brought to the Earth's surface, it is crushed and used for industrial and other non-food purposes.

This type of salt contains many minerals and other impurities. While the ocean is a natural salt brine, hydraulic mining or solution mining of salt involves pumping water below the earth's surface to dissolve salt deposits and create a salt brine.

This brine is then pumped to the surface and evaporated to create salt. The salty brine may be treated prior to evaporation to reduce mineral content, yielding a nearly pure sodium chloride crystal.

This method is inexpensive, has a high yield, and produces a very clean salt. Most table salt is produced with this method. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.