Salt mines (e.g., Taoudenni)

Salt mines like Taoudenni are underground sites where natural salt deposits are extracted through mining. Located in desert regions, these mines often involve traditional methods such as quarrying salt layers from beneath the surface. Taoudenni in Mali, for example, has been mined for centuries, with workers carving out blocks of salt by hand. The salt is then transported and used for cooking, preserving food, or trading. These mines highlight the enduring importance of salt as a vital resource, and their formation reflects Earth's geological processes where vast salt layers accumulated over millions of years from evaporated inland seas.