Solutionary

Soluble matter comprised of salts, including gypsum, which is deposited in layers, once the liquid it is held in evaporates. Solutionary material is in the form of crystals that can become rocks and is a general indicator that a lake or body of water was once present. They are common indicators of the presence of some minerals, such as phosphate, which are sold as commodities.

Mining companies search for solutionary and sedimentary rocks, because they are both formed in areas that were historically underneath water. Geologists will take soil samples to determine if there are layers of solutionary rock, with large deposits increasing the odds that phosphate may be present. Phosphate is a commodity used to produce fertilizer.