DEAD SEA, an internal drainage salt lake located in Israel and Jordan. Water area - 1050 sq. km, length - 76 km, maximum width - 17 km, maximum depth - 356 m. The lake is located in the lowest part of the El Ghor (Gkhor) meridional rift depression, the bottom of which is below sea level for more than 200 km. Within the depression, also below sea level, Lake Tiberias is located, through which the river flows. Jordan, which flows into the Dead Sea from the north. The surface of the Dead Sea is 408 m below ocean level. This is the lowest place on land. The Dead Sea has no drain, and all the water coming from the Jordan River is lost through evaporation. The water in the lake is clear, blue-green in color, its density fluctuates between 1.172 and 1.227 g / cm 3. In the Dead Sea Basin, two separate basins are distinguished; the northern part is the deepest, in the southern part, which accounts for about 1/3 of the area, the depth does not exceed 10 m. At the junction of these basins, the El-Lisan Peninsula juts out deeply into the water area from the east; here the width of the lake is only 4 km. From the west and east, the Dead Sea is surrounded by mountains, often forming high (up to 750–1200 m) steep coastal ledges. The greatest relative elevations of the relief are in the southeast, where at a distance of approx. 9 km from the coast rises a peak with a height of 1627 m. The maximum average monthly air temperature in July is 37.8 ° С in the north and 40 ° С in the south, and the absolute recorded maximum is 50.6 ° С.The average annual precipitation is 75-100 mm. Due to strong evaporation, the level of the Dead Sea is subject to fluctuations with an amplitude of 60–90 cm throughout the year.
In terms of salinity, the Dead Sea ranks second in the world after Lake. Van in Turkey. Its waters are practically lifeless, deserted and the surrounding area. The high salinity of the water is explained by intense evaporation and the presence of saline rocks at the bottom of the lake. Dissolved mineral salts are approx. 24% of the volume of water (for comparison, we will indicate that in ordinary seawater their content is less than 4%). The chemical composition of the salts contains the following elements and compounds: chlorine - 67.66%; bromine - 1.98%; sulfate - 0.22%; sodium - 10.2%; potassium - 1.6%; calcium - 1.51%; magnesium - 16.8%. Potassium chloride and bromine are mined from the waters of the Dead Sea.
In ancient literature (Josephus Flavius and Tacitus) there is information about shipping in the Dead Sea in antiquity, although it was called differently: in the Talmud - the sea of Sodom; in the New Testament - the Salt or Eastern Sea; Josephus Flavius calls it Asphalt Lake. Nowadays in Arab countries this sea is usually referred to as Bahr-Lut, or "Lot's sea". The biblical accounts of Abraham and Lot and the destruction of cities date back to ancient times. David was hiding on the western shore of the Dead Sea in En Gedi. The idea that the waters of the Dead Sea swallowed up the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah dates back to the works of Josephus. In 1924 a special expedition was equipped to search for these cities. According to her reports, the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and Tsoar were located on the southeast coast of the lake.
The Dead Sea is considered a hypersaline drainless lake and a unique place on the planet: people come to see this natural and picturesque body of water from all over the world. There are many interesting facts about the Dead Sea. Here are 14 of the most surprising ones.
1. The length of the lake, according to the most conservative estimates, is about 67 km: while the width of the reservoir is only 18 km. The main tributary of the sea is the Jordan River. This unusual lake lies in the Rift Valley. At the same time, the depth of the Dead Sea reaches 377 m: the lake has become the deepest and saltiest body of water on the planet.
2. The history of the origin of the Dead Sea is unusual: it was formed at the bottom of a depression formed as a result of tectonic movements of the continent. At a depth in the Dead Sea, plate shifts are still taking place: control over seismic activity is increased here, because small earthquakes happen every year - people do not feel them, but the accuracy of the instruments allows these tectonic movements to be recorded.
3. In the depths of the Dead Sea, huge masses of water move, which have no outlet to the surface. Scientists have found an increased concentration of salts and minerals in the water: at the same time, in terms of salinity, the Dead Sea surpassed any ocean.
Even the inflow of the Jordan River and several small rivers into the reservoir does not make the water fresh: despite the daily intake of 7 million tons of water that does not flow anywhere, the salinity of the Dead Sea is 33.7%. Scientists believe that water entering the sea evaporates quickly under the influence of sunny weather.
4. Due to the surprisingly high concentration of salt, a person is easily kept naturally on the surface of the water.
5. Today, the Dead Sea consists of two separate basins. They are separated by an artificially created isthmus. The northern body of water is deep and vast, and the southern one is famous for the fact that hotels and factories for the extraction of minerals have been built on the shores. Now the southern reservoir is completely controlled by industrial companies.
There, on the southern lake, there are thermal springs of unique properties with healing black mud: it is known that King Herod was treated here many centuries ago.
The area of the Dead Sea, interesting facts about which attracted scientists, is actively researched by health care companies. The water is unique due to the high concentration of enriched minerals. The atmosphere is extremely clean - pollen and allergens free. Greater depth contributes to a lower content of solar ultraviolet radiation. Also, natural conditions maintain the balance of pressure that is optimal for the body.
Thanks to minerals and salinity, the Dead Sea, together with mud deposits, has a positive effect on health. Tourists from all over the world come here to treat diseases of the pulmonary and respiratory system, the treatment of the stomach and related organs is successfully practiced here. Staying in this unique area allows you to improve metabolism and rejuvenate your skin. It is believed that the air, water of amazing composition and minerals prevent cell aging: this fact is actively used by cosmetologists when developing new cosmetics.
6. Inside the Sedom salt mountain, located 135 meters below sea level, tourists can visit the large Malham Cave. On the way, the gaze of travelers opens up amazing views - these are salt crystals in various shapes and natural structures. Cavers often visit the cave, but doctors do not recommend staying there for a long time: there is a high risk of rapid dehydration.
7. The next interesting fact about the Dead Sea is the reduced level of ultraviolet radiation: here it is extremely difficult to get sunburn when sunbathing. This allows even people unprepared for the active beach season to be in the sun at any time of the day.
8. The Bible repeatedly writes about the lake: it is mentioned as the refuge of King David. The history of Lot and his family is also connected with this sea. Leaving the dying Sodom, Lot's wife turned around, which was strictly forbidden by God. After that, she became a pillar of salt, which has survived on the seashore to our time.
9. An unusual feature of the reservoir is its ability to form a special natural asphalt on the surface. The tiny black pieces resemble molten magma. Collecting this substance is quite simple - because of the salt in the water, pieces of asphalt always float on the surface of the water. History has preserved data that this asphalt was used by the Egyptians to mummify the dead.
10. On the shore of the lake, you can see a picturesque abandoned water park and skeletons of old boats, a grove of dead palm trees and a destroyed ship dock, the ruins of a labor camp and the remains of furniture covered with a layer of salt.
11. Scientists have noticed that the water level is gradually decreasing, on the bottom protruding from the water, extensive funnels and faults are formed. A research buoy is floating in the middle of the lake.
12. The lowest highway is laid along the bank of the reservoir and the Jordan River: the depth of the road is 393 meters.
13. The air in the vicinity of the reservoir is sometimes heated to extreme temperatures, but, despite this, the air is enriched with oxygen. The air masses entering here are formed over the Indian Ocean and overcome a strip of many kilometers of desert lands, where they are naturally cleared.
14. Contrary to the assumptions, many small organisms live in the water of the lake. These are the oldest moldy fungi in the world that settled on the bottom long before the salt level in the water increased. Viruses also live in the sea, which are perfectly adapted to such a concentration of salt, but they do not pose a danger to humans.
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Several seas are honored to be called "the saltiest". The Dead and Red Seas are the undisputed leaders. Only Red is a part of the World Ocean (MO, Ocean), connected with it by the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. The Dead Sea Lake is a remnant of an ancient basin. This body of water on the continent of Eurasia has no direct connection with the ocean. Let's find out which sea is the saltiest, without delving into the geographical "subordination". Let's compare the mineralization of water bodies of the planet, find out what this indicator depends on. We will focus on the word "sea" in the names of geographical objects.
What property of water is called "salinity"?
Simple experience convinces: there are impurities even in fresh lakes, rivers, springs. If you pour a little tap water into a saucer and leave it in the sun, the liquid will evaporate. A white bloom will remain at the bottom - these are salts. Weigh it and get a value close to 2 g / l, in terms of 100 g of water - 0.2%. There are no impurities only in distilled water, but its use harms the human body. The World Ocean contains an average of 35 g of salt per liter. By the color and transparency of the water, it is more difficult to recognize what is in front of us: a large fresh lake or a salty sea. A photo of the reservoir, taken from a good angle, and even taste sensations help to resolve this dilemma.
"Salinity" is called the content of solutes, this indicator is measured in ppm. The unit was specially introduced to study the composition of water; it was included in school and university geography textbooks. Let's simplify the explanation and relate the salinity index to the mass fraction as a percentage. Promile - a tenth of a percent, denoted by "‰".
Sea water is a multicomponent solution
Mass (g) of common chemical elements in 1 liter of seawater:
- chlorine - 19.5;
- sodium - 10.8;
- magnesium - 1.3;
- sulfur - 0.9.
Less than 1 g is contained in the water of the seas of calcium, potassium, bromine, carbon, strontium, boron, fluorine, silicon. Experts in chemistry will argue that in the form of simple substances, the above sodium and potassium ignite, and sulfur, carbon and other substances are insoluble. In fact, in the calculations, the mass fractions of elements are obtained, and they are in the water in the form of ions: Na +, K +, Mg +, Ca +, Cl -, B -, S 2-, Br -, HCO 3-, SO 4 2- and other cations and anions.
Why is the content of solutes different?
In the dispute about which sea is the saltiest, several elementary truths are forgotten. Even Heraclitus, Plato and other thinkers of antiquity said that everything moves, you cannot enter the same water twice. The composition and amount of impurities in the seas, rivers and lakes is constantly changing. The indicators are influenced by the following factors:
- distance from the equator and the associated amount of solar radiation;
- climate and weather;
- the amount of precipitation;
- surface and groundwater runoff;
- types and strength of rocks that make up the bottom and coast;
- vital activity of organisms in water.
The salinity of the seas also depends on warm currents, because the solubility of most substances increases with increasing temperatures. Coastal waters in areas where there is significant surface runoff from the mainland are desalinated, for example, in the deltas of the Nile, La Plata and other large rivers. When the ice melts, the salinity decreases. When the ice cover forms, it increases.
What is the saltiest sea in the oceans?
From school, many remember that the salinity of water depends on evaporation. The higher it is, the more salt accumulates. In the circumpolar latitudes, this pattern is violated in winter. With the formation of ice, the salinity of water increases, reaching record levels in the Greenland Sea for the northern part of the Moscow Region. Closer to temperate latitudes, the freshening effect of rivers, a large amount of precipitation, affects. Salinity reaches a maximum south of 45 ° N. sh. and north of 10 ° S. sh. This area is home to some of the saltiest seas in the world:
- Red - 41 ‰;
- Mediterranean - 39 ‰;
- Arabian - 36 ‰.
Significant precipitation and runoff from great rivers reduce salinity in equatorial latitudes.
Strait of Bab el-Mandeb - the saltiest part of MO
Comparing all the factors, we conclude that the Red Sea is the saltiest. The reservoir mentioned in the Old Testament is located between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. According to the biblical tradition, the Red Sea parted before the Israelites who fled from Egypt, and a wide passage appeared. Scientists have created a computer model proving that the legend does not contradict the laws of physics.
About 41 g of impurities are dissolved in 1 liter of Red Sea water. Salinity increases from north to south, reaching a maximum value in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In this region, there is practically no river runoff, precipitation falls much less than water evaporates. Temperatures are consistently high throughout the year. The factors turned out to be favorable for the rich organic world of the Red Sea, the development of tourism on its shores.
Salty seas of Russia
Knowing the basic laws affecting the content of dissolved substances, it is easier to establish which sea is the saltiest in Russia. In the north - Barents, in the east - Japanese. The salinity of the water beyond the Arctic Circle changes significantly throughout the year. In the west of the Barents Sea, this figure reaches 35.0 ‰, but significantly decreases when moving to the east. The saltiest sea in Russia is the Sea of Japan, the salinity of its water is stable at around 34 ‰.
Dead Sea Lake - a natural phenomenon
The greatest influence on the content of dissolved substances is exerted by evaporation and the amount of precipitation. A combination of factors was found to be favorable for the accumulation of salts in the lake on the Israeli-Jordanian border. The saltiest water is in the sea-lake, which is called Dead. The water is so dense that a person can easily stay on its surface.
Salinity values are very high - from 300 to 370 ‰. The average content of dissolved substances is 33.7% (in 1 liter of water - 337 g of salts). Not only salty water, low location on land, but also famous muds also glorified the lake. The highly mineralized sludge contains about 300 g / kg of salts.
Mineralogical composition of the Dead Sea
In total, the lake water contains dozens of mineral and organic components. We present data on the most common compounds indicating the mass fraction of a substance in the composition of all dissolved salts:
- magnesium chloride - 50.8%;
- calcium chloride - 14.4%;
- sodium chloride - 30.4%;
- potassium chloride - 4.4%.
After bathing in the waters of the Dead Sea, rinse off the concentrated salt solution so that it does not corrode the skin. Increased concentrations in mud are noted for such biologically important substances: iodine, bromine, hormone-like molecules. There are few sulfates in the water of the Dead Sea-Lake, but there are a lot of bromides, which increases the healing effect of brine.
The famous salt sea lakes are disappearing
Media reports about the fate of the Dead and Aral Seas further fuel interest in water bodies. The surface of the Dead Sea is already 420 m below the level of the Ocean and falls by about 1 m annually. According to researchers, in 40 years catastrophic changes may occur, similar to those that occurred with the Aral Sea. Since ancient times, water bodies have been constantly mentioned in answers to the question "which sea is the saltiest?" The Dead Lake continues to faithfully work out its obligatory name. Salt water kills bacteria and prevents algae from growing.
The French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the author of poetic lines about fresh water. He wrote about a liquid without color, taste and smell: "You cannot be described, you are enjoyed without knowing what you are", "You are life itself." It is a pity that such poetic comparisons did not arise for the writer at the sight of sea water. After all, the liquid medium of the body of animals contains the same salts that were in the ancient ocean, which became the cradle of all life on Earth.
The Dead Sea is a hypersaline closed lake, one of the most unique places on Earth. I suggest you get acquainted with 10 interesting facts about this amazing place, some of which you probably did not know
2. The depth of the Dead Sea is 377 meters, it is the deepest salt lake on Earth. It is worth clarifying here that a hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains high concentrations of table salt or other mineral salts, surpassing ocean water in terms of salinity.
3. With a salinity of 33.7%, the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. Although Lake Assal (Djibouti) and the frozen McMurdo Lakes in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica may have slightly higher salinity.
4. An unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily swim naturally on the surface of the water. In this respect, the Dead Sea is similar to the Salt Lake in Utah, USA.
5. The water here is about 8.6 times saltier than in the ocean. This percentage of salinity makes the water unsuitable for living things, although tiny bacteria and microfungi are still present in it.
6. The length of the Dead Sea is 67 kilometers, and the width at its maximum point is 18 kilometers. The main tributary of the lake is the Jordan River, and it is located above the Rift Valley
7. The Dead Sea region has become a major center for health research for several key reasons. The content of minerals in the water is unique, there is practically no pollen and other allergens in the atmosphere, because of the great depth, there is less ultraviolet radiation in the sun's radiation, and the atmospheric pressure is higher, which in general has a beneficial effect on health
8. According to the Bible, the Dead Sea was a refuge for King David. In addition, it is one of the first resorts in the world, as well as a supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for the Egyptian mummification, to all kinds of fertilizers.
9. An unusual feature of the sea is that it forms a natural asphalt in the form of small pieces of black matter. During the excavations, many figurines and other objects were found, including human skulls from the Neolithic times, covered with this black bitumen. During the Egyptian mummification, bitumen from the Dead Sea was also used.
10. The lowest road in the world - Highway 90, runs along the banks of the Israeli and western banks of the Jordan River at a depth of 393 meters below sea level
View from the Israeli coast towards Jordan
about 810 km²
Dead Sea
Coordinates: 31 ° 29'27 ″ s. sh. 35 ° 28'47 ″ in. etc. / 31.490833 ° N sh. 35.479722 ° E etc.(G) (O) (I)31.490833 , 35.479722
Dead Sea(יָם הַמֶּלַח, Yam ha-melach - `salty sea`; in TANAKH also יָם הָעֲרָבָה, Yam ha-arava -` steppe sea`, and sometimes הַיָּם הַקַּדְמוֹנִי, ha-yam ha-kadmoni - `eastern sea`; in Talmud יַמ שֶׁל סְדוֹם, Yama walked Sdom - `Sea of Sodom`) - a large closed salt lake in Eretz Yisrael.
Geographic data
Sunset at the Dead Sea. Photo by So Nata.
The area of the Dead Sea in our time is about 930 sq. km, length - about 75 km, maximum width - at Ein Gedi - 17 km, maximum depth - about 400 m. The water of the Dead Sea is so heavy that it is impossible to drown in it. Increased mineralization of water (28–32%; ten times more than usual for the sea) with magnesium chloride (52%), sodium (table salt; 30%) and potassium, potassium carbonate (potash), magnesium bromide, as well as sulfur deposits and asphalt make organic life impossible in the Dead Sea (with the exception of some bacteria).
In the north, the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. In addition to it, the waters of the oasis-forming springs Einot Tsukim and Ein Gedi and many streams (including Kidron, Dragot, Tseelim, Tsin) flow into the Dead Sea in the west, and the Arnon rivers, the Zered brook and others in the east. Streams flowing into the Dead Sea have almost steep and short channels, often with waterfalls, gorges and canyons. The Dead Sea is located in the southern part of the Jordan Basin, between the Jordan Valley and the Arava Basin.
The surface of the Dead Sea is more than 400 m below sea level (the lowest point in the world). In 1954, the Dead Sea dropped to an all-time low of 398 m below the Mediterranean Sea (which itself is below sea level).
Slope over the Dead Sea. Photo by L. Groerweidl
In the west, over a narrow coastal strip, the cliffs of the Judea mountains hang over a steep step 250–500 m high. In the east, the steep slopes of the Moab plateau almost approach the water with a wall of several hundred meters in height, only in the southeast separating from the coast near the mouth of the Zered stream in the area of the I-Tsafi oasis (the so-called valley of Zoar, named after the city mentioned in the Bible; see. , for example, Gen. 19:22). In the southwest, the Dead Sea is closed by the unique Mount Sdom (ten kilometers long, three kilometers wide, peak 234 meters below sea level), composed of crystalline salt and gypsum covered with marl.
The lake was formed in the Pleistocene epoch as a result of the drying up of the sea in a part of the Syro-African crack. The southern shallow part of the Dead Sea (up to 3 m deep), separated by the Lashon Peninsula ("Language"), apparently arose as a result of an earthquake that occurred later, in the historical era, and is usually considered as the location of the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, although some researchers believe that these cities were to the north. The two parts of the sea are connected by a narrow (about 14 m wide) shallow strait.
The light, murky waters of the Jordan spread like "fan blades" with a radius of several kilometers through the heavy water of the Dead Sea. The influence of Jordan on the upper layer of the Dead Sea is visible up to 50 km south of the river's mouth.
The central line of the Dead Sea from north to south is the border between Israel and Jordan.
Dead Sea in history
The western coast of the Dead Sea was inhabited since ancient times, while its eastern shores remained uninhabited until the kingdoms of Edom and Moab were formed there in the 13th century. BC e. After the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, the west coast became part of the donation of the tribe of Yehudah, and the northern part of the east coast was donated to the tribe of Reuven; the southern part of the east coast remained under the control of Moab.
Because of its uniqueness, the Dead Sea early attracted the attention of Greek geographers and was already mentioned in Aristotle's Meteorology (2: 3, 39). During the reign of Alexander Yannai (126–76 BC), the entire area around the Dead Sea came under the control of Judea.
In the Roman era, the physical features of the Dead Sea (Latin name Lacus asfaltitis - Asphalt Lake) were well known and are mentioned by Pliny, Tacitus and others. The name Dead Sea was first encountered by Pausanias and Galen, who gave the most detailed description of the Dead Sea and its natural properties.
In the 1930s. there was a small inn in Kalia. In 1939, kibbutz Beit ha-Arava was founded northeast of Kalia in the Jordan Valley.
In the 1950s and 60s. highways were laid connecting coastal areas with the interior of the country (Sdom - Beer Sheva, 1955; Sdom - Ein Gedi, 1956; Sdom - Arad, 1964; Sdom - Eilat, 1967), which opened up the possibility of further increasing the capacity of chemical enterprises and contributed to the general economic development of the region, including tourism and treatment centers.
After 1967, the agricultural development of the region began. In the late 1960s. in the Shefeh Zohar area, the first large hotels with therapeutic baths were built (the town of Neve Zohar near Sdom). Gradually, the healing resorts of the Dead Sea, thanks to their unique healing properties (primarily for the treatment of psoriasis), gained worldwide fame (Ein Bokek, Hamei Zohar and others).
On the basis of the chemical enterprises of the Dead Sea, a network of chemical enterprises in the Negev was created, which carried out the processing of primary raw materials. Due to the diversion of most of the waters of the Jordan and its tributary Yarmuk, the southern part of the Dead Sea is gradually drying up, which required the construction of a special canal to transfer water from the northern part of the sea to the evaporation ponds of the potash plant in Sdom.
In the early 1980s. preparatory work began on the laying of a canal between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which was supposed to finally prevent a drop in the water level in the Dead Sea (since 1963). But the project was frozen due to the extremely high cost of the work.
The current situation at the Dead Sea
Plastic garbage on the coast of the Dead Sea
In the 1980s. on the Dead Sea, the first experimental industrial installations for the conversion of solar energy into electricity were launched according to the original Israeli system of so-called solar pools.
On the shores of the Dead Sea are located:
- kibbutzim
- Ein Gedi (1953; nearby - a nature reserve, hot springs, a resort and a park),
- Mitspe Shalem (1980),
- Qumran National Park,
- nature reserve Einot-Tsukim.
On the Dead Sea. Vacationers, smeared with curative mud, go to swim in the sea. Photo by L. Groerweidl
Historical monuments