A type of mineral or rock formed when water containing dissolved salts evaporates, leaving behind crystallized salt deposits like halite, gypsum, or calcite.
From 'evaporate' plus the mineral suffix '-ite' (from Greek 'sitos'). These rocks are literally created by evaporation, which is why the name perfectly describes their origin.
Massive evaporite deposits worldwide—like the Dead Sea region and Utah's Great Salt Lake—are records of ancient oceans and lakes that dried up thousands of years ago, making them geological time capsules!
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