Climatology of evaporites

Evaporites require solar heating to crystallise in either marine or non-marine fed groundwater sumps. Accordingly, evaporites are often considered to indicate hot arid climatic belt (deserts) on the earth’s surface. This section discusses the assumption that thick salt deposits require particular conditions and an assumption that evaporites tend to form in what is known as Hadley cells. We shall also look at climatic controls in the present icehouse earth then look at greenhouse mode climate at the time of the last supercontinent (Pangaea).

• • Hadley cells and the world’s deserts
  

• • Quaternary climate and aridity
  

• • Pangaean climate and super-aridity
  

Predicted temperature belts in 2100 (NASA)