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Dead Sea |
The Dead Sea is actually not a sea as its name suggests, but a saltwater lake which is recorded as the lowest lake in the world.
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Dead Sea |
The surface of the Dead Sea is located about -430.5 meters below sea level. The average depth of this lake is about 199 meters, with a maximum depth of 298 meters. That means, the bottom of the lake is at a depth of -728 meters below sea level.
Even though it is called the Dead Sea, however, in terms of size it does not deserve to be called the sea. Only 50 km long, and 15 km wide, it is too small to be a sea. The Dead Sea can accommodate a volume of water of 114 km³.
The Dead Sea is actually an endorheic lake, which is a lake formed by the emergence of cracks due to stretching of the earth's plates. The lowest lake in the world has a surface area of around 605 km², much smaller than in 1930, when the surface area of the Dead Sea reached 1,050 km². The Dead Sea has a coastline of 135 km.
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Dead Sea, Jordan |
The Dead Sea is very popular and crowded since thousands of years ago, hence the Dead Sea is known by many names. In Arabic the Dead Sea is known as Al Bahr Al Mayyit or it is also called the Lake of Lut. In the Bible, this lake is called the Arabah Sea. The Dead Sea is also known as the Salt Sea, Lake Zoar, Lake Sodom, Lake Asphalt (Asphaltites Limne) or Sea Asphaltites in Greek (Greek).
The Dead Sea is located in the Southwest Asia region or better known as the Middle East. This salt water lake is right on the border of three countries, namely; Jordan, Israel and Palestine.
And what makes the Dead Sea so famous is its incredible buoyancy. Anything that enters this lake will float, and will not sink, even if it is a heavy object. Therefore, for those who cannot swim, there is no need to worry about drowning when bathing in the Dead Sea.
Dead Sea water is very salty because it contains a very high concentration of salt. Lake water is 9.6 times saltier than sea water. The level of salinity (salt content) of the Dead Sea reaches 34.2% or 342 g per kg.
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Mineral deposite at Dead Sea |
The mineral content of the Dead Sea varies greatly. In contrast to the content of seawater which usually contains about 85% sodium chloride (NaCl). The mineral composition of the Dead Sea consists of 50.8% magnesium chloride (MgCl), 30.4% sodium chloride (NaCl), 14.4% calcium chloride (CaCl2), and 4.4% potassium chloride (KCl).
Dead Sea water contains a high concentration of salt which fluctuates around 31.5%, resulting in a density of 1.24 kg/liter, so it has very strong buoyancy. Anything that goes into this lake will surely float up. Therefore, anyone who plunges into the water of the Dead Sea will be able to float up. Therefore there is no need to fear drowning, if you are in the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea has several small springs under its surface which are one of its water sources. The only river whose water flows into this lake is the Jordan River.
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Dead Sea at Sunset |
The Dead Sea has no outflow of water, but evaporation is very high, as a result of the hot and humid temperature. In winter, the surface temperature ranges from 20 - 23°C. While in summer it can reach 32 - 39°C. The temperature below the surface is even higher, it can even reach 47°C. In winter, the temperature of the lake water is even higher than the temperature of the land. While in summer, on the contrary, the water temperature is cooler than the land temperature.