On biochemical formation of salt deposits

A water/salt system in an evaporative environment is both a physicochemical region and a biological one. All the parameters of the system, such as the salinity, temperature and CO2 partial pressure, are affected by halophilic bacteria. The system controls salt deposition but is modified by an accomp anying ecological system; therefore it should be called a water/salt/biolog ical system. Salt minerals result from accumulation of the remains of bacte ria/algae, namely, bacteria/algae formation; whereas biological, biophysica l and biochemical processes provide full evidence for organic involvement. Consequently, salt deposits should not be called purely chemical but biolog ical/chemical ones. This new argument supplements and develops the traditio nal idea and helps perfect the mineralization theory of salts and even gene ral deposits, thus giving guidance to prospecting for salt deposits.