The dead sea is a lake situated in the southwestern part of Asia.A lake, the dead sea, is also known as the salt sea. The sea is known to be the lowest point on the planet.The dead sea is considered the saltiest sea of all the water bodies. The salinity of the sea can go up to 33.7%. Due to this saline level, it is impossible to walk on water, but you can float. Due to a lot of salt presence, the density and buoyancy of the water increases, which affects body weight. So with the increase in the concentration of salt, the bouncy increases. It is very difficult or rather impossible for anyone to walk through the sea level; however, due to the salt concentration, one can easily float in it. Apart from being the lowest point on the planet, the dead sea has the lowest chance to drown anyone. This is due to the low sea level as well as high salinity. The low sea level is due to the massive amount of irrigation that depleted the water level of Jordan. This restriction in the flow of water is slowly killing the dead sea, making it technically dead. Irrigation is also a significant reason behind the dead sea drying up.If you like reading this, you might want to read about the difference between ocean and sea and deep-sea diving.Fun Facts About The Dead SeaThe dead sea has to be the saltiest of all the water bodies. Apart from being the most saline, dead sea water is the most fun for tourists.Because dead sea water is too salty, it is very dense. The kind of salt found there are mostly bromide and chloride salts. The dense nature of the water restricts the tourists or visitors from swimming or staying inside water for more than 10 minutes. They can only float in the dead sea region. Mostly populated by the dead sea, there has been no information regarding the dead sea being dangerous to tourists. But it would be advisable not to spend a lot of time in the water. Exposure to this salty water for more than 10-15 minutes will make the skin incredibly soft. When it comes in contact with any crystals, this delicate skin might get cut quite easily. Although we term the dead sea as a sea, it is geographically covered by lands. Due to this landlocking feature, the dead sea is known to have a smaller range of tides. Apart from that, the unique feature of this sea is very low on elevation. The dead sea is considered to be the lowest waterbody in the world.Surprising Facts About The Dead SeaWhen it comes to the surprising facts of the dead sea, there could be a long list. Starting from the dead sea mud to the mesmerizing southern basins of the Mediterranean sea, the entire dead sea region will surprise you.If we list out the top 10 surprising facts about the dead sea, the top fact would be the dead sea being the lowest point ever on the planet. Moreover, the dead sea is practically a lake, with most of its surface reaching up to around 1400 ft (426.72 m) under sea level. The second point would be the fact that the salty water makes it impossible for people to swim in it. Thirdly, the lake water tastes terrible. As we know, 34% of the dead sea is made up of salt; this content makes the water taste unbearable. Fourthly, the dead sea mud is considered very good for the skin. The water is known to hold anti-inflammatory benefits similar to spa treatments.Moreover, the mud makes the skin very soft and shiny. Fifthly, saltwater has been known to sting tourists. The salt water makes the skin very soft leading to minor cuts by crystals. These cuts will sting when they come in contact with seawater. Sixthly, the death valley or the dead sea is not the saltiest place on the earth. Seventhly, standing on the shores of the dead sea serves a mesmerizing view. The view includes the west bank of Israel. Next, we can say that everything in the sea is dead apart from the microbes and the very few visitors. The dead sea was created around 3 million years ago due to the pulling apart of the two tectonic plates of the earth. On one side was the African plate, while on the other side was the Arabian plate. The rift created between was noticed to be in touch with the Mediterranean sea. This connection became a lake with passing time, known to be the dead sea. From the northern side of the lake, the water from Jordan flows into the lake. Lastly, the dead sea is known to be the source of agricultural potassium.Facts About Dead Sea’s Marine LifeAs we know that the water in the dead sea is ten times saltier than the average sea water, it exerts some adverse effects on marine life. Plant and animal life cease to exist in this water due to the extreme saline water. Microbes and bacterias are the only organisms to ever exist in this water.Around 343 billion gals (1559.31 billion l) of water flow to the dead sea from the freshwater river Jordan. Due to the increased irrigation level, only around 40 billion gal (182 billion l) of water can ultimately reach the lake. The less approach of the freshwater is reducing the lake’s level and increasing the salinity. Due to the high salt level, the density of the sea water is high as well. The dead sea has a density of around 10.34 lb/gal (1.24 kg/l). Even though this high density has hampered aquatic life in the lake, it encourages the visitors to enjoy the water. The high density does not allow tourists to drown; instead, they float in the water. Apart from the water having salt, it also contains minerals and salts like magnesium salts. The salt varieties make the aquatic environment extremely toxic and hardly sustainable for aquatic beings.On the other hand, this mineral content has healing properties and attracts visitors to cleanse themselves and receive benefits from dead sea water. Even if the water is considered beneficial to some extent, it cannot be home to organisms. There has been no outlet for the basin to let go of the water. Most of the water escapes through evaporation. Due to evaporation, most of the minerals and the salts are left behind in the sea water. The leftover salt makes the sea water even saltier. This situation implies that the larger an organism, the higher the risk of survival in this lake. Apart from evaporation, most water depletion has happened due to irrigation depleting the water of the Jordan River. Due to the excessive irrigation practice, the primary source of water for the dead sea is getting depleted. Due to this depletion, scientists have claimed the dead sea to be dying in the current scenario.Historical Facts About The Dead SeaThe history of the dead sea dates back to the third century BCE, as it was stated in the dead sea scrolls. The scrolls were discovered in 1947, stating the sea to be fed by the Jordan River. Written by the jews, the scroll describes the banks and basins of the lake. The description includes the dry land of the west bank shores and the shore near the northern basin and the southern basin.The dead sea is situated in the southwestern part of Asia. It is a salt lake located between Israel and Jordan lakes. Initially, the dead sea was called the sea of salt, the sea of lot, and the Sea of Death. Since ancient times this sea has been termed a dead sea. The primary reason behind naming this water body dead was the condition of the aquatic animals that were discovered. The dead sea has been one of the water bodies with the highest salinity to exist on the planet. Due to this extreme salinity level, any organisms that would reach the lake through the surrounding rivers were found dead. Hence, the name ‘dead.’ The organisms included the fishes and the tiny aquatic plants. The only things that could survive in this water are the microbial bacterias and microbial fungi. However, it was tested that the lake’s salinity decreases with the arrival of the flood. During times of flood, the lake’s salinity has been recorded to drop up to 30% than its original content. With the highest salt content, the lake’s elevation is considered to be the lowest on the planet.Regarding the extremely high salt content, since the earlier days, boats have been traveling through the lake without any obstruction. Due to the extremely high salinity, the thickness of the water surface is high as well. Despite this high thickness, the boats can easily move along the surface without difficulties.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for The dead sea facts: interesting trivia that will astonish you, then why not take a look at Arabian sea facts or Alboran sea
The dead sea is a lake situated in the southwestern part of Asia.