The name 'Dead Sea' is actually a kinder, gentler translation from the Hebrew name 'Yam ha Maved', which means, 'Killer Sea'. The surface of the Dead Sea is over 1,300 feet below sea level. The very bottom of the sea, in the deepest part, is over 2,300 feet below sea level. The Dead Sea has some of the most saline water on earth; as much as 35% of the water is dissolved salts! That's almost six times as salty as the ocean! The Dead Sea is completely landlocked and it gets saltier with increasing depth. The surface, fed by the River Jordan, is the least saline. Down to about 130 feet (40 meters), the seawater comprises about 300 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. That's about ten times the salinity of the oceans. Below 300 feet, though, the sea has 332 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater and is saturated. Salt precipitates out and piles up on the bottom of the sea.
There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. There are, however, several types of bacteria and one type of algae that have adapted to harsh life in the waters of the Dead Sea. What you'll see on the shores of the Sea is white, crystals of salt covering EVERYTHING. And this is no ordinary table salt, either. The salts found in the Dead Sea are mineral salts, just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. The water in the Dead Sea is deadly to most living things. Fish accidentally swimming into the waters from one of the several freshwater streams that feed the Sea are killed instantly, their bodies quickly coated with a preserving layer of salt crystals and then tossed onto shore.
Humans are remarkably adaptable. We can swim in the Dead Sea, just like we can swim in the ocean. Well, people don't really "swim" in the Dead Sea - they just "hang out". That's what's so cool about the Dead Sea. Because of the extremely high concentration of dissolved mineral salts in the water its density is way more than that of plain fresh water. What this means is our bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea - so you bob like a cork. In fact, people are so buoyant in this water, it makes it kinda tough to actually swim. Most people like to just kick back in the water and read. It almost looks as though this guy is sitting on an air mattress that has sunk below the surface, but he's not. He's really just floating, without having to hold is feet in that position! If you think this is easy, try floating like this in a freshwater swimming pool.
What Caused the Dead Sea to Form?
This lesson takes us back to the subject of plate tectonics. In this part of the world there is a rift forming where two crustal plates are spreading apart. The East Rift Valley runs through most of Africa, but it starts north of the Dead Sea and runs south along the eastern side of the continent. The Sea is located right along the Rift Valley where the earth's crust is being stretched thin. To get an idea of how this "crustal spreading" thing works, take a bar of taffy, or taffy-like candy and try to pull it apart. You'll see where the candy starts to come apart it gets really thin just before it breaks. That's what is happening to the earth's crust in the Rift Valley. Where the earth's crust gets thin that part of the surface sinks downward. You know what? The Dead Sea is still sinking lower, even today. Scientists figure that the Dead Sea lowers by as much as 13 inches per year. On a geologic time scale that's incredibly fast!Why is the Dead Sea so Salty?
We talked about how the surface of the Sea got down so low in elevation, but why is it so salty? All roads lead to the Sea when it comes to the rivers in the area. The Dead Sea is continually fed water from the rivers and streams coming down off the mountains that surround it. But the kicker is this....no rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. The only way water gets out of the Sea is through evaporation. And boy does it evaporate! This part of the world get plenty hot. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind all the dissolved minerals in the Sea, just making it saltier. In fact, it's through the dual action of; 1) continuing evaporation and 2) minerals salts carried into the Sea from the local rivers, that makes the Sea so salty. The fact that the water doesn't escape the Sea just traps the salts within its shores. It's the lowest spot on earth (400 metres below sea level), has 10 times more saline than seawater (so humans float like corks), and is believed to contain therapeutic minerals.
The Threat: In the last four decades, the Dead Sea has shrunk by a third and sunk 24 metres - 33 centimetres per year! - stranding formerly seaside resorts and restaurants more than 1.5km from shore. The Jordan River is the lake's sole source, and as surrounding countries increasingly tap its waters, little reaches the Dead Sea, which could disappear within 50 years. Further pressure is put on the sea by the cosmetic companies and potash producers who drain it for minerals. One proposed solution is the controversial Red-Dead Canal, channelling water 182km from the Red Sea, but its environmental impact could be negative (some worry that it would increase seismic activity in the region).
Just north of the Dead Sea is Jericho. Somewhere, perhaps on the southeast shore, would be the cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis which were said to have been destroyed in the time of Abraham: Sodom and Gomorra and the three other "Cities of the Plain" - Admah, Zeboim and Zoar. Zoar escaped destruction when Abraham's nephew Lut escaped to Zoar from Sodom. Before the destruction, the Dead Sea was a valley full of natural tar pits, which was called the vale of Siddim. King David was said to have hidden from Saul at Ein Gedi nearby.
According to the tradition of Islam, the Dead Sea was near the land in which the Prophet Lut lived. The people in this area were considered wicked for their acts of homosexuality, robbery and murder, and by the command of Allah, Prophet Lut preached to his people to repent and turn to Allah. They arrogantly refused to leave their wicked ways and they continuously rejected the preachings of Prophet Lut, except for a very few. Every message that was brought to them, they flipped it to satisfy their own wicked selves. The People of Lut received many warnings to repent or be punish but they did not take any seriously. Finally Allah sent three angels as handsome young men to be guests of Prophet Lut, when the people heard of this they rushed to Lut's home. The people demanded that these young men be given to them as they wanted to perform these wicked acts with them. One of the angels, angel Jibrail, gave Prophet Lut the warning to leave the town with his band of believers and do not look back. The entire town and its people were lifted up by angel Jibrail and flipped upside down and sent smashing down to earth, causing the ground to cave in. Thus, the lowest land on Earth was formed because of this punishment.
The Dead Sea region offers fascinating biblical, archaeological and historical sites: such as the mountain fortress of Masada; Qumran, where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found in ancient pottery jars: Ein Gedi, where David found refuge from King Saul: and the first
monasteries of the Christian monks in the Judean Desert. In recent years, the Dead Sea area has become a health, rehabilitation, recreation and beauty spa. The combination of the year-round favourable climate, the thriving health and beauty centres, and the unique natural and historical tourist attractions, attract both vacationers and health-cure visitors from around the world. Modern facilities and hotels line the shore.
As a health spa, the Dead Sea offers patients an opportunity to treat various ailments while enjoying the feeling of well-being that is an important part of the treatment. Many visitors return year after year for long-term relief. More on... http://uk.visitjordan.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment