Why is the Dead Sea so salty?

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asked Jul 21, 2022 in Other-Environment by Operez (1,780 points)
Why is the Dead Sea so salty?

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answered Jul 26, 2022 by Shawn (105,070 points)
The Dead Sea is salty because in the arid low-lying desert, the water which collects in the Dead Sea evaporates much more quickly than the water in the open ocean which leaves vast quantities of salt behind

The Dead Sea, also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west.

And the Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

The lake's surface is 430.5 meters below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth.

The sea is called "dead" because its high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms, such as fish and aquatic plants, from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.

In times of flood, the salt content of the Dead Sea can drop from its usual 35% to 30% or lower.

It is nearly impossible to swim in the Dead Sea.

Because of the high salt content of the water, people who bathe in the Dead Sea can actually float on the surface of the water.

Located on the border between Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea is one of the most intriguing natural phenomena on Earth.

Aside for some microorganisms and algae, this salt water lake is completely devoid of life.

There's no seaweed, fish or any other creatures found in or around its turquoise waters.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at about 1,400 feet (430 metres) below sea level.

It's waters are 10 times saltier than regular sea water.

While full of therapeutic minerals, the water is toxic to ingest.

No marine life can survive in the Dead Sea and no flora and fauna can survive around it either.

Subsequently, the level of salt in the water makes it impossible for the ship to move on the water body as well.

The Dead Sea is landlocked and in the lowest valley on earth.

All the minerals of the surrounding countryside get washed into one pool, which in turn gets baked by the sun.

This concentrates the salts so much so that the Dead Sea becomes times as salty as the ocean, which defines why people don't drown in the dead sea.

Historical evidence suggests the waters of the dead sea have risen and fallen over thousands of years.

In fact, some research suggests the entire dead sea dried up about 120,000 years ago, leaving a vast and deep bed of salt in its wake.

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