Why are older salt layers often found near the centers of German salt domes?

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salt dome Figure 1: Interrelationships of salt structures (see text)

In German salt domes, the presence of older material in the center of the salt mass is a result of the complex internal folding that occurs as the salt moves and pierces through overlying strata.1

As salt flows upward to form a dome, the internal layers—which include halite, sylvite, and other potash minerals—undergo significant deformation. This process creates vertical, complex folds within the salt core. When the relative age of these internal layers can be deciphered, the structural arrangement typically places the older material in the center of the mass, while younger material is found toward the outer edges.1