Nature & Environment
Earth's Lowest Point Dead Sea Shrinking At An Alarming Rate
Michael Finn
First Posted: Jun 17, 2016 06:02 AM EDT
Dead Sea is a salty lake situated at the Earth's lowest point, which is slowly shrinking under the hot climate of the Middle East. It may appear like a slow-motion problem for those living on its shores, however, finding additional water to support the sea is a big challenge. One this is certain, no one can sink in the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is eight to nine times saltier compared to other oceans of the world. The sea is so dense and rich in minerals that it does not feel like a normal water, but more like an olive oil combined with sand. Reports about it have given so much emphasis on the water's extraordinary properties, aside from the news about the Dead Sea Scrolls.
However, the Dead Sea is also considered a unique ecosystem, which is a sensitive barometer of the condition of the environment in one portion of the world, where a dry climate and the necessity to irrigate the farms are mixed together, creating a continuing shortage of water, Wider Image reported.
The idea of the Dead Sea dying has been discussed several times in different papers, but based on some research, this is not quite true. As the water level decreases, the saltiness and density will ultimately get to a point where the range of evaporation will also reach a type of equilibrium. Which means it may become smaller, but it will certainly not disappear completely.
What is alarming is the fact that the Dead Sea's rate of shrinking. Based on reports, its surface level is dropping more than a meter every year. Considering that the Dead Sea is the Earth's lowest point, being 420 meters below sea level, it means that this part of the planet is being calibrated again on a yearly mode.
While the Dead Sea climate change effects are expected to manifest through the water's continuous shrinking at something similar to its current rate for the coming years, it will certainly not die. Based on the science of saturation and saltiness, Dead Sea will ultimately reach a point of equilibrium. This means the amount of water and evaporated moisture in the air will reach a type of balance, according to Y Net News.
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First Posted: Jun 17, 2016 06:02 AM EDT
Dead Sea is a salty lake situated at the Earth's lowest point, which is slowly shrinking under the hot climate of the Middle East. It may appear like a slow-motion problem for those living on its shores, however, finding additional water to support the sea is a big challenge. One this is certain, no one can sink in the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is eight to nine times saltier compared to other oceans of the world. The sea is so dense and rich in minerals that it does not feel like a normal water, but more like an olive oil combined with sand. Reports about it have given so much emphasis on the water's extraordinary properties, aside from the news about the Dead Sea Scrolls.
However, the Dead Sea is also considered a unique ecosystem, which is a sensitive barometer of the condition of the environment in one portion of the world, where a dry climate and the necessity to irrigate the farms are mixed together, creating a continuing shortage of water, Wider Image reported.
The idea of the Dead Sea dying has been discussed several times in different papers, but based on some research, this is not quite true. As the water level decreases, the saltiness and density will ultimately get to a point where the range of evaporation will also reach a type of equilibrium. Which means it may become smaller, but it will certainly not disappear completely.
What is alarming is the fact that the Dead Sea's rate of shrinking. Based on reports, its surface level is dropping more than a meter every year. Considering that the Dead Sea is the Earth's lowest point, being 420 meters below sea level, it means that this part of the planet is being calibrated again on a yearly mode.
While the Dead Sea climate change effects are expected to manifest through the water's continuous shrinking at something similar to its current rate for the coming years, it will certainly not die. Based on the science of saturation and saltiness, Dead Sea will ultimately reach a point of equilibrium. This means the amount of water and evaporated moisture in the air will reach a type of balance, according to Y Net News.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone