Dead Sea Report. The Dead Sea is dying. What property of water is called "salinity"

When Lot and his family fled from the crumbling Sodom, his wife could not resist and looked back at the dying city. It was impossible to do this, and therefore it turned into a huge pillar of salt, which can be seen on the coast of the Dead Sea today.

The Dead Sea is one of the most unusual and unique bodies of water on our planet. First of all, because in reality it is a lake into which the waters of the Jordan River and several other small rivulets flow: every day about 7 million tons of water flows here, which, despite the fact that it does not flow out anywhere, is rather fast due to the high air temperature. evaporates.

However, the Dead Sea is not completely dead. Divers exploring the seabed have found underwater springs that spill fresh water and some life forms of hardy bacteria. The area is alive with history. Biblical David hid from King Saul. Herod the Great built a fortress and palace at Masada, a flat-topped hill nearby. The ruins of the fortress and ramp, built by the Roman army for the final assault on the fortress, are now major tourist attractions. Some officers in the Israel Defense Forces take their military oaths on Masada.

Various mineral substances and salt of the Dead Sea brought by river waters remain and join the minerals already in the lake, turning it into one of the saltiest bodies of water on our planet (the concentration of salt in the local water is 30%, while in the ocean - 3.5%) ...

Education

Many are interested in the question, where is the Dead Sea? One of the largest salt lakes on our planet is located in the east of the Judean Desert. West Coast the reservoir belongs to Jordan, the eastern one belongs to Israel. On the map, the Dead Sea can be found at the following coordinates: 31 ° 20 ′ 0 ″ north latitude, 35 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ east longitude.

Water is said to have medicinal properties, and cosmetic firms sell lotions with salt. Dead sea... Josephus also recorded a major earthquake in the area, and Uri ten Brink, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey's Woods Hole Science Center in Massachusetts, said the sea is on the verge of an eastern eastern tectonic plate called the Dead Sea Transformation that runs from Turkey to Red Sea and separates Arabia from Africa about 17 million years ago.

"Both Africa and Arabia are moving north," said ten Brink, "but Arabia is moving a little faster." The valley created by the movement periodically passed to the Mediterranean, but about 8 million years ago this connection was cut off. If rift valley was connected to the Mediterranean, the salinity and water levels would be normal, and the Dead Sea different.

The sea formed at the very bottom of the Syrian-African Rift - a huge depression crust, formed due to the movement of continental plates (it starts in the south of Turkey and ends in Zimbabwe, in the southeast of the African continent). The movement of tectonic plates has made this territory seismically active: mild earthquakes occur here every year (people do not feel them, but instruments record).



The process of the formation of the Dead Sea is quite interesting. The depression was filled with oceanic waters, and for millions of years the remains of marine animals, fish, and plants settled to the bottom, which subsequently formed limestone, while the water here was unstable: it came and then left. Therefore, the layers of salt that the sun had evaporated from the sea water gradually mixed with the layers of sedimentary rocks.

Sea water levels are currently dropping 4 feet per year. In addition, the entire valley, including the seabed, also falls, Ten Brink said. The reason for the decline in water levels, in addition to drier weather and climate change, is the growing population in the area.

Between the people in the area who use the water for drinking and agriculture, and the evaporation from the system, more water than enters into it. The solution, according to Kiro, was to desalinate the water from the Mediterranean and pump it into the Sea of ​​Galilee and then let it flow into the Jordan.

After some time, a permanent body of water was formed here - the Lachon Sea (the predecessor of the current one), the length of which exceeded 200 km, and the surface was 180 m below the level of the World Ocean. Volcanic eruptions completely blocked the channel linking Lachon with Mediterranean Sea- and it began to dry out. After Lachon completely dried up (this happened 17 thousand years ago), two reservoirs remained - the freshwater lake Kinneret and the salty Dead Sea.

This is a tricky area, ”said Kiro. Dozens of land plots of the Earth are below the current sea level. The lowest land area is coastline depressions of the Dead Sea, and the largest depression of sea level on the surface is the Depression in the Caspian Sea. In total, the land is below sea level.

What Causes Most Depressions at Sea Level?

Most of the major depressions are associated with the boundaries of tectonic plates. They are formed when converging plates are deformed or when expansion centers open. Most of these depressions are in the northern hemisphere for a good reason: here most of land and where most of the plate boundaries occur. Many of them are found near where African, Arab and eurasian plates... Most of them are found in the hot desert regions of the planet, where high evaporation rates prevent them from filling with water.

Currently, the Dead Sea consists of two separate basins, separated by an isthmus, which appeared in 1977. The North is a larger and deeper reservoir, the maximum depth of which is 306 meters, and the South is where hotels and enterprises that extract minerals are located, which is why it gradually turned into an artificial reservoir, and therefore the water level here is regulated by humans, and average depth is about two meters.

Several are found in temperature climatic conditions... Many well-populated places in the world are below sea level. About a third of the Netherlands, including Schiphol Airport, are below sea level. There is also the Jordan River and parts of many coastal cities including New Orleans and Bangkok. Out of two hundred and fifty-five recognized countries or protectorates in the world.

Most of them are just a few meters down. Some of the sea level drops are dry; most others have salt lakes. The lakes are undrained, which means that the water flows but does not flow out. Since water cannot flow up a hill, lakes cannot empty into the sea as most do, and therefore they accumulate salt as their waters evaporate. Where does salt come from? Some of them come from ancient seabed salt deposits that were raised and then weather and release salt that reaches depression through rivers.


The Dead Sea has the following parameters:
  • Area salt lake is 650 km. sq. (over the last century it has significantly decreased - it was 930 km. sq.);
  • Maximum width - 18 km;
  • Length - 67 km (it is designated by summing the length of the southern and northern basin, while the length of the latter is 54 km);
  • The mud layer at the bottom is about 100 meters;

The water level in the Dead Sea as of December 2012 was 427 meters lower and drops by one meter annually, making it one of the lowest land areas on our planet.

Many other weather rocks cause precipitation of sodium and chlorine ions, which are transported to the lake by rivers. The Sea of ​​Galilee is below sea level but is a freshwater lake as it drains into the Dead Sea via the Jordan River. Due to fluctuations in rainfall, evaporation rates and water use for humans, most of the lake's levels fluctuate from year to year. Some come and go in historical times.

The lowest exposed land on Earth is located on the shores of the Dead Sea, at an altitude of -413 meters. The deepest lake bottom in a decrease in sea level also refers to To the dead sea at -750 meters. This is the most low point on Earth, which is not covered by the ocean, although it is covered in ice. The trench is huge, roughly the size of Mexico.

Unique sea coast

On the southern coast of the Dead Sea, there are thermal springs and pools of greasy black mud, which have long been considered curative: it is absolutely known that King Herod also bathed in them.



There are mountains and pillars of salt. Among them is Mount Sedom, whose height above sea level is 250 m, formed during a powerful underground pressure, which pushed the salt plug to the surface. Now this mountain is a huge salt dome 11 km long and 1.5 km wide, cut by a huge number of caves (it is believed that there are at least a hundred of them, and the total length is 20 km).

Strictly speaking, most of the Earth's surface is below sea level because the oceans cover 71% of the planet. Today, large areas are under water, which significantly exceeds sea level during the Great Ice Age. It is likely that long and far into the future, plate tectonics will produce more high mountains and deeper trenches and depressions than we have today.

Teenage shepherds stumbled upon the first set of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been hailed as the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century. Below, learn more about the scrolls and their deep religious and historical significance. One of the young shepherds threw a stone into a hole in the cliff face and was surprised to hear a crushing sound. He and his companions later entered the cave and found a collection of large clay jars, seven of which contained scrolls of leather and papyrus. After word of the discovery surfaced, Bedouin treasure hunters and archaeologists discovered tens of thousands of additional scroll fragments from 10 nearby caves; together they comprise between 800 and 900 manuscripts.

Caves are formed in this mountain all the time: a few rains slowly dissolve the salt, destroying old caves and creating new ones instead. The grottoes themselves are extremely beautiful - there are not only drip formations, but also huge crystals. The largest salt cave of our planet, Malham, is located in Mount Sedom at a depth of 135 meters, the length of which is 5.5 km.

Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been sold in the classifieds section

Internal Revenue Service because the sales invoice was not drawn up correctly.

Nobody knows for sure who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls.

According to the prevailing theory, this is the work of the Jewish population who inhabited Qumran until the Roman troops destroyed the settlement for about 70 years. These Jews are believed to have belonged to a pious, ascetic and communal sect called the Essenes, one of four Jewish groups living in Judea before and during the Roman Empire. Proponents of this hypothesis note the similarities between the traditions set forth in the Community Rule, a scroll detailing the laws of an unnamed Jewish sect, as well as descriptions of essay rituals by Roman historians Flavius ​​Josephus.

Benefits

Of course, the answer to the question why the Dead Sea is so unique that there are practically no analogs to it on our planet, we are unlikely to know for sure. Currently, we can only make assumptions and fix its features.


Nearly all of the Hebrew Bible is represented in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Archaeological evidence from Qumran, including the ruins of Jewish ritual baths, also suggests that there were observing Jews at the site. Some scholars attribute other groups to the production of the scrolls, including early Christians and Jews from Jerusalem who passed through Qumran to escape the Romans. The Dead Sea Scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament, with the exception of the Book of Esther. Scientists have suggested that the traces of this missing book, which tells the story of the eponymous Jewish queen of Persia, either disintegrated over time, or have not yet been revealed.

Dead Sea Asphalt

The Dead Sea has interesting feature: at its depth, natural asphalt is formed, which the lake throws out to the surface in the form of small black pieces - at first they resemble a molten block of earth, and then, cooling down, they turn into a solid state. It is not difficult to collect it from the surface: the salt of the Dead Sea simply does not allow it to return to the bottom.

Hebrew is not the only language in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Others have suggested that Esther was not part of the Essenes' canon or that the sect did not celebrate Purim, a festive holiday based on the book. S. is considered the earliest Old Testament manuscript that still exists. Along with biblical texts, the scrolls contain documents on sectarian rules such as community rule and religious scriptures that do not appear in the Old Testament. In addition, several texts contain translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, which some Jews used instead of or in addition to Hebrew during the scrolls' creation.

An interesting fact: during excavations on the coast, a huge number of figurines and other things were discovered, including human skulls from the Neolithic period, covered on top with sea asphalt. It was also used by the ancient Egyptians to mummify their dead.

Dead Sea air

It is interesting that the air, the temperature of which often reaches 40 ° C, is so unique here that it cannot but cause surprise: due to the location of the Dead Sea below the level of the World Ocean, there is a zone of high atmospheric pressure, which is why the amount of oxygen in this region 15% exceeds the amount of oxygen in the area, which is at the level of the World Ocean.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Includes A Hidden Treasure Guide

One of the most intriguing manuscripts from Qumran is the Copper Scroll, a kind of ancient map treasure, which lists dozens of gold and silver caches. While other texts are written in ink on parchment or animal skins, this curious document contains Hebrew and Greek letters carved into metal sheets - perhaps, as some have theorized, to better withstand the passage of time. Using an unconventional vocabulary and odd spelling, the Copper Scroll describes 64 underground hideouts around Israel that purportedly contain wealth hidden away for safekeeping.

The local air does not contain absolutely any allergens: air masses come here mainly from Indian Ocean, overcoming the deserted sands of the deserts, and therefore do not carry industrial pollution and allergens with them. Considering that the evaporation from the surface of the lake saturated with minerals and the salt of the Dead Sea saturate the air with useful components, it definitely has a positive effect not only on a healthy person, but also on a person with diseased lungs.

None of these treasures have been recovered, possibly because the Romans plundered Judea during the first century. According to various hypotheses, the treasure belonged to the local Essenes, was released from the Second Temple before its destruction, or never existed to begin with.

The Dead Sea, known in Hebrew as Yam Ha-Mela, is the lowest point on earth, surrounded by a stunning landscape. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on the surface of the earth, and salty water the lake leads to the name "Dead Sea" because no fish can survive in salt water. Another result of the salt water of the Dead Sea is their renowned health and healing properties and the unique feature that can be naturally floated in them.

Dead Sea climate

Since the Dead Sea is located near the desert, both the air temperature and the climate are appropriate here - according to statistics, here 330 sunny days in the year, there is little rain (mainly in January and February), and the average relative humidity in summer is 27%, in winter - 38%.



In summer, the temperature ranges from 32 to 40 ° C, in winter - from 20 to 23 ° C. An interesting fact is that in the winter season, the temperature of sea water saturated with minerals is much higher than the temperature of the earth, while in summer it is the other way around.

Actually only a lake, the Dead Sea is part of the long border between Israel and Jordan, whose towering mountains can be seen from the Israeli side, part of the deserts of Judea and the Negev. Just an hour's drive from the Dead Sea, it is a popular destination for Israelis looking for a few days' rest, people taking advantage of the medicinal properties of the water, as well as tourists who briefly stay in the unique sea and its surroundings.People famously cover themselves with muddy mineral mud and swim in salt waters on the beaches that overlook the Dead Sea.

In the area of ​​the Dead Sea, due to its location below the level of the World Ocean, weakened ultraviolet radiation is observed - therefore, it is extremely difficult to get sunburn here, and doctors recommend staying on the Sun for 6-8 hours even for an unprepared person.

This temperature and dry climate also has its drawbacks - the water of the Dead Sea evaporates very quickly, which, in combination with human activities, leads to its crumbling. If earlier the Jordan compensated for the evaporation, now man uses the river water to his advantage, and now the water reaches the sea much less than before: over the past half century, the volume of the watercourse has decreased to 100 million cubic meters / year. (previously it was 1.43 billion cubic meters / year).

Dead sea salts

The salt of the Dead Sea is 33.7% (350 grams per 1 liter of water), which is ten times higher than the salinity of ocean water. Therefore, due to the huge amount of salt, the water of the Dead Sea is thick, dense, oily to the touch and has a tinge of metallic blue.



People can safely swim in the lake without fear of drowning - the salt of the Dead Sea will not allow them to do this (it is even difficult to choke here: it is extremely disgusting to swallow such water - it is not only salty, but in addition to everything else, it tastes bitter, at the same time, when it gets into the mouth, it makes the tongue go numb).

Swimming here is also not easy: it is best to lie down in the water and relax under the warm sun rays, as if in a hammock - fortunately, the temperature of both the air and the water allows you to do this. The only "but": if there is even the slightest scratch on the skin, it is better not to get into the water - the salt of the Dead Sea, getting on the wound, will cause unpleasant sensations.

Dead Sea Minerals

The unique characteristics of water and mud are influenced not so much by salt as by the minerals of the Dead Sea. And their number is simply off scale - the lake's waters contain more than twenty minerals, mainly of inorganic origin, and therefore do not contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which is why they do not oxidize, keeping their medicinal properties at the maximum level.


The main minerals of the Dead Sea are:
  • Magnesium (30 to 34%) - anti-stress mineral that soothes the nervous system;
  • Potassium (from 22 to 28%) - regulates the amount of fluid in the middle of the cell (in total, they contain 4/5 of the water that is in the human body);
  • Sodium (12 to 18%) - regulates the amount of fluid outside the cells;
  • Bromine (from 0.2 to 0.4%) - penetrating into the bloodstream through the skin, calming and relaxing the nervous system, has a positive effect on it;
  • Iodine (from 0.2 to 0.9%) - has a positive effect on the thyroid gland, including the growth, reproduction and activity of the nervous system, the work of nerve endings in muscles, the growth of skin and hair;
  • Sulfur (from 0.1 to 0.2%) - disinfects the skin, and is also necessary for the formation of protein substances of vitamins B, B1, biotin, etc.

Dead Sea minerals along with salt, mud, water and optimal temperature, have a positive effect on the human body, giving it the opportunity to get rid of skin diseases, allergies, problems with the lungs, bronchi, nerves, helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, dysbiosis, gastritis, hepatitis). The body significantly improves metabolism, blood circulation, increases skin elasticity, slows down the aging process, etc.

Dead Sea minerals are contraindicated for patients with schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, as well as people who have recently suffered myocardial infarction, stroke, tuberculosis, who have problems with renal and liver failure.

Inhabitants

Naturally, the question of why the Dead Sea is called dead, if its climate, water, mud and salt are good for health, cannot but interest.

The lake had many names (among them - Salty, Asphalt, Ancient, Sodomskoe), and the current one received due to the fact that it was believed that due to the high salinity of water, living organisms (primarily fish and sea animals) did not live here in condition.

Recently, it turned out that this is not entirely true: at the end of the last century, scientists discovered that the water of the Dead Sea is teeming with small organisms. It is home to about 70 species of moldy fungi that settled here long before the sea acquired salinity, which, having developed a new gene, adapted to the local water. Microscopic viruses were also found in the water of the salty sea, which are activated only after they enter a living organism, and outside the cells they acquire the form of inanimate particles.

20 species of archaea have been found: microbes that thrive in concentrated saline and live off the energy they convert from sunlight. An interesting fact: it turned out that 1 ml of Dead Sea water contains several million of these microbes (while, if there are a lot of them, they, due to their pigment, give the water a reddish tint).



During rains, when the salinity of the water on the sea surface is slightly diluted, the pink dunaliella flagellate algae develops from the pores - the pigment protects it from sunlight, and does not die because of the salt does not give a high content of glycerin in the plant, which retains moisture. It is interesting that these algae develop extremely quickly and actively: during the period of "flowering" their number is several tens of thousands per milliliter. True, they live in the Dead Sea for a short time and disappear as soon as the rains stop.

Having collected these facts, scientists suggested that the living organisms they found create a specific ecological system in which algae, archaea and fungi compete with each other for the substances necessary for their development, and viruses control their amount.

All over the world, there are about 80 seas that are part of the oceans. All these waters are salty, but among them there are record holders who are distinguished by a high concentration of salts and other minerals in their composition. The most fresh sea on the planet is the Baltic Sea, the salinity of which is only 7 ‰ (ppm), which is equal to 7 grams per 1 liter of water. Among all the others, we singled out the saltiest seas in the world.

Salinity 30 ‰

Belong to the most salty seas the world. Salinity here can reach 30 ‰ in some places. This is one of the smallest seas in Russia, with an area of ​​90,000 square meters. km. The temperature here rises to 15 degrees in summer time years and drops to minus 1 degree in winter period... Inhabitants Of the White Sea there are about 50 species of fish, including beluga whale, salmon, cod, smelt and others.

Salinity 33 ‰


One of the ten most salty in the world. Its salinity in winter is higher and can reach 33 ‰. It is located between Chukotka and Alaska on an area of ​​589 600 sq. Km. The water temperature here is quite low: in summer - 12 degrees above zero, and in winter - minus 1.8 degrees. It is home to walruses, seals, as well as fish - grayling, polar cod, Far Eastern navaga, Arctic char and others.

Salinity 34 ‰


Covering an area of ​​662,000 sq. km., are among the saltiest in the world. It is located between the New Siberian Islands and the Severnaya Zemlya Islands. The salinity of its waters reaches 34 ‰ in places, and the water temperature does not rise above 0 degrees all year round. Walrus, sterlet, sturgeon, perch and other animals live in the depths of the sea.

Salinity 35 ‰


With a salinity of 35 ‰, it is one of the saltiest on earth and the most salty in Russia. It is washed by the waters of the White Sea and has an area of ​​1,424,000 square kilometers. In winter, only the southwestern part of the sea does not freeze, the temperature here in summer does not exceed plus 12 degrees. The underwater world here is quite rich in fish, including capelin, perch, herring, catfish, killer whale, beluga and others.

Salinity 35 ‰


Located between the shores of Eurasia, the Japanese Islands, and Sakhalin Island, it is considered one of the saltiest in the world. Its salinity reaches 35 ‰. The annual water temperature ranges from 0– + 12 degrees in the north, and 17–26 degrees above zero in the southern part. Animal world it is very rich and includes many types of fish. Herring, pollock, navaga, flounder, pink salmon, chum salmon, anchovy, crabs, shrimps, oysters, squid and many others live here. The Japanese salt waters cover an area of ​​1,062,000 sq. Km.

Salinity 38 ‰



considered the densest and most salty in Greece. It is perfect for those who cannot swim and want to learn. In summer, the temperature here fluctuates between 25-26 degrees above zero, and in winter it drops to plus 14 degrees. The salinity of the sea is about 38 ‰. The inhabitants of salty waters are fish such as tuna, flounder, mackerel and others. The Ionian Sea occupies an area of ​​169,000 sq. Km.

Salinity 38.5 ‰


Aegean is one of the ten most salty seas in the world. Its salinity is about 38.5 ‰. Due to the high salinity, after bathing in such water, it is recommended to bathe in fresh water, since a high concentration of sodium can adversely affect the skin and mucous membranes. Winter temperatures here are about 14 degrees above zero, and summer - plus 24 degrees. It is inhabited by octopuses, sardines, sponges and other inhabitants. It is located between the Balkan peninsulas, Asia Minor and the island of Crete. The Aegean Sea has existed for about 20,000 years. It was formed as a result of the flooding of the Egenids land and occupied an area of ​​179,000 square meters. Its appearance led to the formation of the islands of Crete, Lesvos, Euboea and others.

Salinity 39.5 ‰


Located between Europe and Africa. It is rightfully considered one of the saltiest seas in the world, the salinity of which reaches 39.5 ‰ in places. It also applies to the most warm seas World Ocean - the temperature here is plus 25 degrees in summer and minus 12 degrees in winter. It is inhabited by seals, sea turtles, as well as more than 500 species of fish, including sharks, rays, blend dogs, lobsters, crabs, mussels and many, many others.

Salinity 42 ‰


Located between Africa and Asia, it is one of the saltiest on planet Earth. Its salinity reaches 42 ‰, which is about 41 grams per liter of water. The very rich are concentrated here underwater world: sharks, dolphins, rays, moray eels and other animals are the inhabitants of the Red Sea. The water temperature is 25 degrees above zero all year round. In the Red Sea, the water is very well and evenly mixed. In winter, surface waters cool down, become denser and sink, and warm waters rise up from the depths. In summer, water evaporates from the surface of the sea, and the remaining water becomes saltier, heavier and sinks down. Less salty water rises in its place. Thus, all year round, the water in the sea is intensively mixed, and in all its volume the sea is the same in temperature and salinity, except in the depressions. In addition, the sea boasts amazing transparency.

Salinity 270 ‰


- the most salty in the world, which is located on the border of Israel and Jordan. The content of minerals is about 270 ‰, and the concentration of salts per 1 liter reaches 200 grams. In terms of the composition of salts, the sea is significantly different from all others. It is 50% magnesium chloride and is also rich in potassium, bromine, calcium and many other minerals. Potassium salts are artificially crystallized from its water. The water has the highest density here, which is 1.3-1.4 g / m³, which completely excludes the possibility of drowning. In addition to unique salts, the sea contains therapeutic mud, which contains 45% salts. It features a high pH value of 9 and tastes bitter and oily water. The sea temperature can reach 40 degrees above zero, which creates intense evaporation and contributes to high density. If different inhabitants live in other waters with high salinity, then it is impossible to meet them in the waters of the Dead Sea.