Review of Mechanical Properties of Salt Relating to Salt Dome Genesis

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Abstract
Mechanical properties of salt are important to the geologist because they determine the remarkable behavior of salt in large quantities. The ability of salt to flow or creep slowly under sufficient differential pressure is of particular importance in explaining the formation and shape of salt structures. The time-dependent strain or “creep” of salt and other nonmetallic bodies is not well understood, but available data show that, under suitable conditions of pressure, temperature, and environment, salt and other nonmetallic bodies show a behavior similar to that of metals. Some of the available data concerning creep of salt as obtained in the laboratory and in situ are reviewed. From these data it is possible to derive for the given conditions of stress, temperature, and environment an equivalent viscosity for the salt. In this manner a rough idea can be obtained concerning the equivalent viscosity of salt. Unfortunately, the values obtained show a wide variation, which amounts to many orders of magnitude.

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