Introduction
The Dead Sea is a Salt Lake in southwestern Asia, lying between Israel and Jordan with areas in the West Bank. The Dead Sea, also known as the Sea of Death, the Salt Sea, and the Sea of Lot, is the lowest waterbody on Earth and has the lowest elevation on land. The water in the Dead Sea is roughly ten times saltier than ocean water. The Dead Sea’s typical salt concentration is around 28%.
What makes the Dead Sea so different?
The Dead Sea lies at the lowest spot on the planet, which is assumed to be the consequence of volcanic activities that caused the land to sink continuously. It is one of the world’s four saltiest bodies of water. The unusual geomorphological nature of the area, along with the harsh desert environment, has resulted in these unique characteristics. As a result of these continual dramatic changes, a landscape unlike any other in the world emerges. The area’s unique mineral richness in the air, land, and water is well known for its medicinal powers, as evidenced by the fact that it has been a health resort for thousands of years.
The Dead Sea Facts
• In Jordan, you can stand on the Dead Sea’s shores and look over to see Israel’s West Bank. And the other way around.
• The Dead Sea is the world’s primary supply of agricultural potassium.
• It’s the world’s lowest point.
• The Dead Sea is also known as the Sea of Salt, the Sea of the Arabah, the Eastern Sea, and many other names.
• More than 3 million years ago, two of Earth’s tectonic plates, the African and Arabian plates, began to draw apart, forming the Dead Sea.
• Dead Sea water might be beneficial to our skin.
• Bacteria are the only things that can live in the Dead Sea.
What kind of life may be found in the Dead Sea?
The Dead Sea, as its title indicates, is a place where life is rare. Because of its excessive salinity, most higher creatures, such as fish and aquatic plants, cannot live in its waters. However, because they have evolved to hyper-salinity conditions, a variety of bacteria may thrive. The influx of freshwater to the Dead Sea modifies the chemical makeup of the water, boosting the number of microorganisms that live there during highly wet seasons. The water surface has become a vivid red color, suggesting the presence of a particular type of algae.
Various species, including storks and other birds of prey, as well as jungle cats, marsh frogs, toads, crabs, snails, and other water insects, use the Jordan Rift Valley as a migratory corridor. Ibex, wolves, foxes, and hyenas live in the steep highlands surrounding the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is becoming drier by the day
The Dead Sea’s water level is dropping at an alarming rate. The water level was roughly 389 m below mean sea level in 1970 and 426 min 2012. The Dead Sea has lost a third of its surface area in the last three decades of the twentieth century, and its water level drops by around 1.1 meters every year.
Climate
The Dead Sea has a hot desert environment with the bright sky and dry air all year. It has an annual rainfall of fewer than 50 millimeters and a summer average temperature of 32 to 39 degrees Celsius. The typical winter temperature is between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius.
Save the Dead Sea
The only way to rescue the Dead Sea is for surrounding countries to work together. The governments of Israel and Jordan suggested building a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Dead Sea to conserve the Dead Sea. The World Bank has issued a feasibility analysis of the project, stating that it is technically, environmentally, and economically feasible.
