Key Facts about Dead Sea

About Dead Sea

• The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel to the west.
• However, the western shore’s southern half belongs to Israel, while the shore’s northern half is in the West Bank, an area claimed by both Israel and Palestine. 
• It lies to the east of the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Sea of Galilee.
• It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and is fed mainly by the Jordan River, which enters the lake from the north. 
• It does not have an outlet, and so it loses its water mainly through evaporation.
• Its surface and shores are 427 metres below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. 
• It is 306 m deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.
• With 34.2% salinity (in 2011), it is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, though Lake Vanda in Antarctica (35%), Lake Assal (Djibouti) (34.8%), Lagoon Garabogazköl in the Caspian Sea (up to 35%), and some hypersaline ponds and lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond (44%)) have reported higher salinities.
• It is almost ten times saltier than ordinary seawaters. 
• This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish, hence its name.
• It is 50 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide at its widest point.
• The Dead Sea seawater has a density of 1.240 kg/L, which makes swimming in its waters similar to floating.

Q1) What is a Rift Valley?

Rift valleys are long, narrow depressions in the Earth's crust that are formed when tectonic plates split apart. They are often bordered by mountains or elevated blocks.

Source: Iran-Backed 'Islamic Resistance In Iraq' Claims Attack Against Israeli Target On Dead Sea Coastline