Evaporite minerals arc lhose which precipitate from natural waters concentrated by evaporalion. Only a lew minerals are common in evaporite deposits, but because of their solubilily the minerals are particularly susccplible to changes dur-ing diagcncsis and complex textures may result. 137 and 138 illustralc a marinę evaporite comprising two minerals. halite and anhydrite. Halite is rock salt, NaCl, and is isotropic. It forms the Iow relief laycrs in plane-polarized light (137) which are black with crossed polars (138). Anhydrite, CaS04, shows modcrate relief and bright mostly second order interference colours. Most of it is quitc fine-grained but sonie charactcristic rectangular crystals are also wcll seen.
Evaporite
137 Halite and anhydrite in plane-polarized light. Locality: Pcrmian, northeast England (x 12).
138 Halite and anhydrite with crossed polars. I-ocality: Permian, northeast England (x 12).
145