Is the Dead Sea `dead'?
MALA ASHOK
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The Dead Sea is deadly to ferns, plants and even to all kinds of fish.
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You have heard the expression "water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink". This expression is used, when there is an abundance of sea water .
Seawater is unfit for drinking. Now consider this: the Dead Sea's water is about six times as salty. It is called the "Dead Sea" because almost none of nature's creatures can live in this saline environment. It is mainly the Jordan which flows into it, and at the surface it is less salty.
The Dead Sea is deadly to ferns, plants and even to all kinds of fish. Any fish, which accidentally swims into it from a fresh water source, is killed instantly. Its body is coated with the mineral salts and tossed ashore!
Absolutely salty
Now here's the good news for humans. Human beings don't perish in it! Why not? The answer to this question lies in your science teacher's favourite examination question: "Is it easier to swim in fresh water, or sea water, and why?"
The answer is that, just as you find it easier to swim in the ocean or the sea, than in the swimming pool, it is much easier to "swim" in the Dead Sea with its extreme concentration of minerals and consequent high density. If that sounds complicated, just remember that it's really easy to float in the Dead Sea.
We won't get into details here of how the Dead Sea was formed, but let's look at why it's so salty because that's what makes it the Dead Sea.
The river and springs feeding this sea are fresh and come down off the mountain. The Dead Sea is located on the border between the West Bank, Israel and Jordan. It is completely land-locked, thus no water can leave it except by evaporation. Needless to say, that it's really hot there, so evaporation takes place very rapidly making the sea salty.
What a unique feature of nature! However, will it remain unspoiled? Geologists believe it is sinking by over 30 cm. a year. This may not seem like much but in a geological calendar it's a lot. Environmentalists are trying to stop this sinking and preserve the ecological balance.
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