Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is actually a lake that is located between Israel and Jordan. TheDead Sea is a natural wonder for many reasons, including the fact that it is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. In addition, the Dead Sea is the world's second most salty body of water in the world with it being 8.6 times saltier than the ocean, containing 31.5% salt. The Dead Sea is also noteworthy because it is 1,378 feet below sea level and the Dead Sea shores are the lowest point of dry land on Earth.
Dead Sea an Endorheic Lake
The Dead Sea is actually what is called an endorheic lake and it is located in the Jordan Rift Valley. The Dead Sea is thought to have been created through flooding of the Mediterranean Sea and over time it stopped flooding and the remaining water became a lake, which is now known as the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has just one major water source and that is the Jordan River with no outlet streams.
Dead Sea Temperatures
The Dead Sea is known to many people because the Dead Sea offers good temperatures year around with summer temperatures being between 90 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit and winter temperatures between 68 and 74 degrees. Remarkably, during the winter the Dead Sea water temperatures are higher than the land temperatures and in the summer the Dead Sea water temperatures are lower than the land temperatures. The warm climate and reported therapeutic benefits if the Dead Sea attract many to the area for treatments such as climatotherapy, heliotherapy, and thalassotherapy. The chemical composition of the Dead Sea water, including its high salt levels, have proven to be very therapeutic.
Dead Sea Origin of Name
The Dead Sea got its name because not many animals or plants are able to live in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has a high salinity level and because of this water plants and fish are not able to survive. Even bacteria is available in very limited numbers in the Dead Sea due to the high salinity levels in the Dead Sea. While the Dead Sea cannot support much in the way of sea life, the Dead Sea provides a unique experience for those that enter the water. Due to the high salinity and other chemical aspects of the water of the Dead Sea the water in the Dead Sea has natural buoyancy to it and people can actually float on the Dead Sea water, not unlike the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Dead Sea Turns Red
The Dead Sea is known for having turned red in 1980. This was after a period of intense rains and the salinity dropped, allowing for a specific type of algae, known as Dunaliella to come to life and thereby sustain a halobacteria known to be red in color, which caused the Dead Sea to turn red in color. The Dead Sea was only red for a short time and since then the bacteria have not come back to life in large enough colors to cause a change in the Dead Sea color.
Dead Sea Produces Asphalt
In addition to turning red, the Dead Sea is also known to produce asphalt, in fact when one swims in the Dead Sea they may come across small black pebbles in the Dead Sea water. The chemical makeup of the Dead Sea water, the history, and the benefits all come together to make the Dead Sea a remarkable land mark.
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