Key Facts about Dead Sea

About Dead Sea:

• The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a saline lake in southwestern Asia located between Jordan and Israel.
  • Its eastern shore is in Jordan, and the western shore is in Israel.
  • 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 is located at an elevation of 430.5 meters below sea level, making it the Earth’s lowest land-based feature.
• It covers approximately 605 sq.km. It is 50 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide at its widest point.
• Salinity: The Dead Sea is one of the Earth’s saltiest water bodies, almost ten times saltier than ordinary seawaters. It has a salinity of 34.2%.
  • It is the fourth saltiest body of water in the world, ranking behind Antarctica’s Don Juan Pond and Lake Vanda, and Djibouti’s Lake Assal.
• The Dead Sea has one main inlet (the Jordan River) but does not have an outlet and so loses its water mainly through evaporation.
• The high saline level and the harsh climate make the lake devoid of life,except for algae and other microorganisms.
• It has a density of 1.240 kg/L, which makes swimming in its waters similar to floating.

Q1: Where is the Sea of Galilee?

Also referred to as Lake Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake located in the Jordan Rift Valley between the Galilee region and Golan Heights in the northeastern part of Israel, close to its borders with Jordan and Syria. It is considered the lowest freshwater lake on the planet and the world’s second-lowest lake after the Dead Sea. 

News: White smokers on the lake floor: Spectacular chimneys discovered in the Dead Sea