The Dead Sea is actually not a sea but a lake

The Dead Sea is actually not a sea but a lake

The Dead Sea can be said to be one of the most famous attractions in the world. Although the Dead Sea has the word "sea" in its name, it is not actually a lake. Not a sea, but an inland salt lake.

The Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea because the lake and its shores are rich in salt, which is 8.6 times that of ordinary seawater. It is difficult for fish and other creatures in the water to survive, even on the shores of the Dead Sea. There are very few living things except aquatic plants on the land. So people call it the "Dead Sea".

The Dead Sea is located in the Jordan Rift Valley, the Great Rift Valley between Israel and Jordan. It is 86 kilometers long from north to south, 5 to 16 kilometers wide from east to west, and the deepest point is 380.29 meters. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on earth that has exposed land, and are known as the "navel of the world." From a distance, the Dead Sea looks like a two-tailed fish.

The formation of the Dead Sea is due to the natural conditions of continuous evaporation of river water flowing into the Dead Sea and the sinking of large amounts of minerals. So, why does this happen? There are two main reasons.

First, the temperature in the Dead Sea area is very high, with an average temperature of 34C° in summer and a maximum of 51C°, and 14~17C° in winter. The higher the temperature, the greater the evaporation.

Secondly, it is dry and rainy here, with an average annual rainfall of only 50 mm and an evaporation of about 1,400 mm. There are more sunny days, strong sunshine, little rain, and very little water added. The Dead Sea is becoming more and more "thick" - unable to make ends meet, more and more minerals are deposited on the bottom of the lake, and the saltiness is increasing. As a result, over the years, the Dead Sea, the saltiest saltwater lake in the world, was formed.

The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake, so the only outflow of water is evaporation, and the Jordan River is the only river that flows into the Dead Sea. Because Jordan and Israel draw water from the Jordan River for irrigation and domestic purposes, the level of the Dead Sea has been seriously affected. threats. According to relevant data from the World Environmental Protection Organization, the level of the Dead Sea is declining at a rate of 3.3 feet (about 1 meter) per year. With the decreasing water volume, the salt concentration of the Dead Sea has greatly increased.