As of 2025, the lake's surface is 439.78 metres (1,443 ft) belowsea level,[8] making its shores thelowest land-based elevation on Earth. It is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepesthypersaline lake in the world. With asalinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% (in 2011), it is one of theworld's saltiest bodies of water[9] – 9.6 times assalty as the ocean – and has adensity of 1.24 kg/litre, which makes swimming similar tofloating.[10][11] This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea's main, northern basin is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point.[1]
The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around theMediterranean basin for thousands of years. It was one of the world's firsthealth resorts, and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, fromasphalt forEgyptianmummification topotash forfertilisers. Today, tourists visit the sea on its Israeli, Jordanian and West Bank coastlines.
The Dead Sea is receding at a swift rate; its surface area today is 605 km2 (234 sq mi), having been 1,050 km2 (410 sq mi) in 1930. Multiple canal and pipeline proposals, such as the scrappedRed Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance project,[12] have been made to reduce its recession.
The name "Dead Sea" occasionally appears inHebrew literature asYām HamMāvet (יםהמוות), 'Sea of Death'.[15]The usualbiblical[18] and modern Hebrew name for the lake is theSea of Salt (ים המלח,Yām HamMelaḥⓘ). Other Hebrew names for the lake also mentioned in theBible are theSea ofArabah (יםהערבה,Yām Ha'Ărāvâ) and theEastern Sea (היםהקדמוני,HaYām HaQadmōnî). In theTalmud it's called 'Sea of Salt'[19] or 'Sea of Sodom'[20].
TheArabic name isal-Bahr al-Mayyitⓘ (البحر الميت), or usually without the articleal-, so justBahr etc.[21]It is also known in Arabic as theSea ofLot (بحر لوط,Buhayrat,[22]Bahret, orBirket Lut)[23] from the nephew ofAbraham whose wife was said to have turned into a pillar of salt during the destruction ofSodom and Gomorrah.[17] Less often, it has been known in Arabic as the Sea ofZo'ar from a formerly important city along its shores.
(Wadi is the Arabic term for a river valley with a small or intermittent stream;Nahal is the equivalent in Hebrew. The two terms are often used interchangeably in English names for the same body of water.)
The water ofWadi Hassa is now completely consumed in Jordan.[24] The Jordan River, which passes through theSea of Galilee, has been substantially diverted. It currently only contributes about one-sixth of the inflow to the Dead Sea, less than direct rainfall.[24]
There are also small perennial springs under and around the Dead Sea, forming pools andquicksand pits along the edges.[25]
The Wadi Mujib valley, 420 m below the sea level in the southern part of the Jordan valley, is abiosphere reserve, with an area of 212 km2 (82 sq mi).[26]Rainfall is scarcely 100 mm (4 in) per year in the northern part of the Dead Sea and barely 50 mm (2 in) in the southern part.[27] The Dead Sea zone's aridity is due to therainshadow effect of theJudaean Mountains. Thehighlands east of the Dead Sea receive more rainfall than the Dead Sea itself.
To the west of the Dead Sea, the Judaean mountains rise less steeply and are much lower than the mountains to the east. Along the southwestern side of the lake is a 210 m (700 ft) tallhalite mineral formation calledMount Sodom.
The Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea, showing salt deposits left behind by falling water levels
Formation theories
There are two contending hypotheses about the origin of the low elevation of the Dead Sea. The older hypothesis is that the Dead Sea lies in a true rift zone, an extension of theRed Sea Rift, or even of theGreat Rift Valley ofeastern Africa. A more recent hypothesis is that the Dead Sea basin is a consequence of a "step-over" discontinuity along the Dead Sea Transform, creating an extension of the crust with consequent subsidence.[citation needed]
Sedom Lagoon
During the latePliocene-earlyPleistocene, what is now the valley of the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and the northern WadiArabah was repeatedly inundated by waters from theMediterranean Sea.[28] The waters formed in a narrow, crooked bay that is called by geologists the Sedom Lagoon, which was connected to the sea through what is now theJezreel Valley.[citation needed] The floods of the valley came and went depending on long-scale changes in the tectonic andclimatic conditions.[28]
The Sedom Lagoon extended at its maximum from theSea of Galilee in the north to somewhere around 50 km (30 mi) south of the current southern end of the Dead Sea, and the subsequent lakes never surpassed this expanse. TheHula Depression was never part of any of these water bodies due to its higher elevation and the high threshold of theKorazim block separating it from the Sea of Galilee basin.[29]
Salt deposits
The Sedom Lagoon depositedevaporites mainly consisting ofrock salt, which eventually reached a thickness of 2.3 km (1.43 mi) on the old basin floor in the area of today'sMount Sedom.[30]
Lake formation
NASA photo showing depth of the Dead Seabasin (slightly below center). The Mediterranean Sea is on the right, with the Suez Canal visible connecting it to the Red Sea on left (slightly above center).
According to Kafri, during the lateNeogene, i.e. in thePliocene (ended c. 2.5 million years ago), theeustatic sea level was at 50–100 metresabove the current sea level, thus flooding the northern valleys connecting the Mediterranean Sea with theJordan Rift Valley, which led to the creation of a crooked-shaped lagoon. This high eustatic sea level situation subsequently came to an end, and the ocean could no longer flood the area. Thus, the long lagoon became a landlocked lake, which – due to the high evaporation rate – retreated toward the lower, southern part of the rift valley.[29] However, Mordechai Stein considers the formation process as not yet clarified, speaking of a late Pliocene-earlyPleistocene process in which tectonics might also have played a part in blocking water ingression from the Mediterranean to its former bay or lagoon.[28]
The first prehistoric lake to follow the Sedom Lagoon is namedLake Amora (which possibly appeared in the early Pleistocene; its sediments developed into the Amora (Samra) Formation, dated to over 200–80kyrBP), followed byLake Lisan (c. 70–14 kyr) and finally by the Dead Sea.[28]
Lake salinity
The water levels and salinity of the successive lakes (Amora, Lisan, Dead Sea) have either risen or fallen as an effect of the tectonic dropping of the valley bottom, and due to climate variation. As the climate became more arid, Lake Lisan finally shrank and became saltier, leaving the Dead Sea as its last remainder.[28][29]
From 70,000 to 12,000 years ago, Lake Lisan's level was 100 to 250 m (330 to 820 ft) higher than its current level, possibly due to lower evaporation than in the present.[31][32] Its level fluctuated dramatically, rising to its highest level around 26,000 years ago, indicating a very wet climate in theNear East.[33] Around 10,000 years ago, the lake's level dropped dramatically, probably even lower than today. During the last several thousand years, the lake has fluctuated approximately 400 m (1,300 ft), with some significant drops and rises. Current theories as to the cause of this dramatic drop in levels rule outvolcanic activity; therefore, it may have been a seismic event.
Salt mounts formation
Inprehistoric times,[dubious –discuss] great amounts of sediment collected on the floor of Lake Amora. The sediment was heavier than the salt deposits and squeezed the salt deposits upwards into what are now theLisan Peninsula andMount Sodom (on the southwest side of the lake). Geologists explain the effect in terms of a bucket of mud into which a large flat stone is placed, forcing the mud to creep up the sides of the bucket. When the floor of the Dead Sea dropped further due to tectonic forces, the salt mounts of Lisan and Mount Sodom stayed in place as high cliffs (seesalt dome).
Climate
The Dead Sea has ahot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with year-round sunny skies and dry air. It has less than 50 millimetres (2 in) mean annual rainfall and a summer average temperature between 32 and 39 °C (90 and 102 °F). Winter average temperatures range between 20 and 23 °C (68 and 73 °F). The region has weakerultraviolet radiation, particularly the UVB (erythrogenic rays). Given the higheratmospheric pressure, the air has a slightly higheroxygen content (3.3% in summer to 4.8% in winter) as compared to oxygen concentration at sea level.[34][35] Barometric pressures at the Dead Sea were measured between 1061 and 1065 hPa and clinically compared with health effects at higher altitude.[36] (This barometric measure is about 5% higher than sea level standard atmospheric pressure of 1013.25 hPa, which is the global ocean mean or ATM.) The Dead Sea affects temperatures nearby because of the moderating effect a large body of water has on climate. During the winter, sea temperatures tend to be higher than land temperatures, and vice versa during the summer months. This is the result of the water's mass andspecific heat capacity. On average, there are 192 days above 30 °C (86 °F) annually.[37]
Climate data for Dead Sea, Sedom (390 m below sea level)
In the 19th century and the early 20th century, the surface layers of the Dead Sea were less salty than today, which resulted in an average density in the range of 1.15–1.17 g/cm3 instead of the present value of around 1.25 g/cm3. A sample tested byBernays in the 19th century had a salinity of 19%. By the year 1926, the salinity had increased[39][40] (although it was also suspected that the salinity varies seasonally and depends on the distance from the mouth of theJordan).
Until the winter of 1978–79, when a major mixing event took place,[41] the Dead Sea was composed of two stratified layers of water that differed in temperature, density, age, and salinity. The topmost 35 meters (115 ft) or so of the Dead Sea had an average salinity of about 30%, and a temperature that swung between 19 and 37 °C (66 and 99 °F). Underneath a zone of transition, the lowest level of the Dead Sea had waters of a consistent 22 °C (72 °F) temperature, salinity of over 34%, and completesaturation ofsodium chloride (NaCl).[42] Since the water near the bottom issaturated with NaCl, that salt precipitates out of solution onto thesea floor.
Beginning in the 1960s, water inflow to the Dead Sea from the Jordan River was reduced as a result of large-scale irrigation and generally low rainfall. By 1975, the upper water layer was saltier than the lower layer. Nevertheless, the upper layer remained suspended above the lower layer because its waters were warmer and thus less dense. When the upper layer cooled so its density was greater than the lower layer, the waters mixed (1978–79). For the first time in centuries,[citation needed] the lake was a homogeneous body of water. Since then,stratification has begun to redevelop.[41]
Pebbles cemented withhalite on the western shore of the Dead Sea near Ein Gedi
The mineral content of the Dead Sea is very different from that of ocean water. The exact composition of the Dead Sea water varies mainly with season, depth and temperature. In the early 1980s, the concentration of ionic species (in g/kg) of Dead Sea surface water was Cl− (181.4), Br− (4.2), SO42− (0.4), HCO3− (0.2), Ca2+ (14.1), Na+ (32.5), K+ (6.2) and Mg2+ (35.2). The total salinity was 276 g/kg.[43] These results show that the composition of the salt, as anhydrous chlorides on a weight percentage basis, wascalcium chloride (CaCl2) 14.4%,potassium chloride (KCl) 4.4%,magnesium chloride (MgCl2) 50.8% andsodium chloride (NaCl) 30.4%. In comparison, the salt in the water of mostoceans andseas is approximately 85%sodium chloride. The concentration ofsulfate ions (SO42−) is very low, and the concentration ofbromide ions (Br−) is the highest of all waters on Earth.
The salt concentration of the Dead Sea fluctuates around 31.5%. This is unusually high and results in a nominal density of 1.24 kg/L. Anyone can easily float in the Dead Sea because of naturalbuoyancy. In this respect the Dead Sea is similar to theGreat Salt Lake inUtah in the United States.
An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge ofasphalt. From deepseeps, the Dead Sea constantly spits up small pebbles and blocks of the black substance.[44] Asphalt-coated figurines and bitumen-coatedNeolithic skulls fromarchaeological sites have been found.Egyptianmummification processes used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea region.[45][46]
There is evidence that the uniqueattenuation and spectrum of UV rays near the Dead Sea contribute to effective photoclimatherapy forpsoriasis, in part because the reduced exposure to solar radiation allows for longer periods of sunbathing.[48][49][50]
Dead Sea mud pack therapy has been suggested to temporarily relieve pain in patients withosteoarthritis of the knees. According to researchers of theBen Gurion University of the Negev, treatment with mineral-rich mud compresses can be used to augment conventional medical therapy.[52]
Panorama of the Dead Sea from theMövenpick Resort, Jordan
The sea is called "dead" because its high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms, such as fish andaquatic 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 temporarily comes to life in the wake of rainy winters. In 1980, after one such rainy winter, the normally dark blue Dead Sea turned red. Researchers fromHebrew University of Jerusalem found it to be teeming with analga calledDunaliella.Dunaliella in turn nourishedcarotenoid-containing (red-pigmented)halobacteria, whose presence caused the color change. Since 1980, the basin has been dry and the algae and the bacteria have not returned in measurable numbers.
In 2011 a group of scientists from Be'er Sheva, Israel and Germany discovered fissures in the floor of the Dead Sea by scuba diving and observing the surface. These fissures allow fresh and brackish water to enter. They sampledbiofilms surrounding the fissures and discovered numerous species of bacteria andarchaea.[53]
Potash City is a small community on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea, and others including Suweima.Highway 65 runs north–south on the Jordanian side from near Jordan's northern tip down past the Dead Sea to the port ofAqaba.
Human history
Biblical period
Mount Sodom, Israel, showing the so-called "Lot's Wife" pillar (made ofhalite like the rest of the mountain)
Dwelling in caves near the Dead Sea is recorded in theHebrew Bible as having taken place before theIsraelites came toCanaan, and extensively at the time of KingDavid.
Just northwest of the Dead Sea isJericho. Somewhere, perhaps on the southeastern shore, would be the cities mentioned in theBook of Genesis which were said to have been destroyed in the time ofAbraham:Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18) and the three other "Cities of the Plain",Admah,Zeboim andZoar (Deuteronomy 29:23). Zoar escaped destruction when Abraham's nephewLot escaped to Zoar from Sodom (Genesis 19:21–22). Before the destruction, the Dead Sea was a valley full of naturaltar pits, which was called thevale of Siddim[citation needed]. King David was said to have hidden fromSaul at Ein Gedi nearby.
In Ezekiel 47:8–9 there is a specific prophecy that the sea will "be healed and made fresh", becoming a normal lake capable of supportingmarine life. A similar prophecy is stated in Zechariah 14:8, which says that "living waters will go out fromJerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea [likely the Dead Sea] and half to the western sea [theMediterranean]."
Archaeological evidence shows multiple anchorages existing on both sides of the sea, including inEin Gedi,Khirbet Mazin (where the ruins of aHasmonean-era dry dock are located),Numeira and nearMasada.[55][56]
KingHerod the Great built or rebuilt several fortresses and palaces on the western bank of the Dead Sea. The most famous wasMasada, where in 70 CE a small group of Jewishzealots fled after the fall of the destruction of theSecond Temple. The zealots survived until 73 CE, when a siege by theX Legion ended in the deaths by suicide of its 960 inhabitants. Another historically important fortress wasMachaerus (מכוור), on the eastern bank, where, according to Josephus,John the Baptist was imprisoned byHerod Antipas and died.[57]
Again if, as is fabled, there is a lake inPalestine, such that if you bind a man or beast and throw it in it floats and does not sink, this would bear out what we have said. They say that this lake is so bitter and salty that no fish live in it and that if you soak clothes in it and shake them it cleans them. —Aristotle,Meteorology
Also in Roman times, someEssenes settled on the Dead Sea's western shore;Pliny the Elder identifies their location with the words, "on the west side of the Dead Sea, away from the coast ... [above] the town of Engeda" (Natural History, Bk 5.73); and it is therefore a hugely popular but contested hypothesis today, that same Essenes are identical with the settlers atQumran and that "theDead Sea Scrolls" discovered during the 20th century in the nearby caves had been their own library.
A cargo boat on the Dead Sea as seen on theMadaba Map, from the 6th century AD
Josephus identified the Dead Sea in geographic proximity to the ancient Biblical city ofSodom. However, he referred to the lake by its Greek name, Asphaltites.[58]
Various sects of Jews settled in caves overlooking the Dead Sea. The best known of these are theEssenes ofQumran, who left an extensive library known as theDead Sea Scrolls.[59] The town ofEin Gedi, mentioned many times in theMishna, producedpersimmon for the temple's fragrance and for export, using a secret recipe. "Sodomite salt" was an essential mineral for the temple's holy incense, but was said to be dangerous for home use and could cause blindness.[60] The Roman camps surroundingMasada were built by Jewish slaves receiving water from the towns around the lake. These towns had drinking water from theEin Feshcha springs and other sweetwater springs in the vicinity.[61]
Byzantine period
The sixth-century mosaic known as theMadaba Map indicates that trade across the Dead Sea was very prevalent during the Byzantine period.[62]
From the seventh century onwards, the Dead Sea area entered a period of decline and its population decreased. The cultivation of sugarcane near the northern and southern shores of the lake began to develop during the Crusader period and reached its peak under the Mamluks.[62]
Modern times
The southern basin of the Dead Sea as of 1817–18, with the Lisan Peninsula and its ford (now named Lynch Strait). North is to the right.
Explorers and scientists arrived in the area to analyze the minerals and research the unique climate.
After the find of the "Moabite Stone" in 1868 on the plateau east of the Dead Sea,Moses Wilhelm Shapira and his partner Salim al-Khouri forged and sold a whole range of presumed "Moabite" antiquities, and in 1883 Shapira presented what is now known as the "Shapira Strips", a supposedly ancient scroll written on leather strips which he claimed had been found near the Dead Sea. The strips were declared to be forgeries and Shapira took his own life in disgrace.
The1922 census of Palestine lists 100 people (68 Muslims and 32 Christians) with "Dead Sea & Jordan" as their main locality.[65] The1931 census shows a sharp increase with 535 people (264 Muslims, 230 Jews, 21 Christians, 17Druze, and three with no religion) listing "Dead Sea" as their main village/town.[66] The 1938 nor1945 village statistics does not give a number for the general Dead Sea area.[67][68]
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, hundreds of Jewish religious documents dated between 150 BCE and 70 CE were found in caves near the ancient settlement ofQumran, about one mile (1.6 kilometres) inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea (presently in the West Bank). They became known and famous as theDead Sea Scrolls.
The world's lowest roads,Highway 90, run along the Israeli and West Bank shores of the Dead Sea, along with Highway 65 on theJordanian side, at 393 m (1,289 ft) below sea level.
The first major Israeli hotels were built in nearbyArad, and since the 1960s at theEin Bokek resort complex.
Israel has 15 hotels along the Dead Sea shore, generating total revenues of $291 million in 2012. Most Israeli hotels and resorts on the Dead Sea are on a six-kilometre (3.7-mile) stretch of the southern shore.[69]
Jordan
Kempinski Hotel, one of the many hotels on theJordanian shore
On the Jordanian side, nine international franchises have openedseaside resort hotels near theKing Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center, along with resort apartments, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The 9 hotels have boosted the Jordanian side's capacity to 2,800 rooms.[70]
The portion of Dead Sea coast which Palestinians could possibly eventually manage is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) long. TheWorld Bank estimates that such Dead Sea tourism industry could generate $290 million of revenues per year and 2,900 jobs.[69] However, Palestinians have been unable to obtain construction permits for tourism-related investments on the Dead Sea.[69] According to the World Bank, officials in the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities state that the only way to apply for such permits is through the Joint Committees established under the Oslo Agreement, but the relevant committee has not met with any degree of regularity since 2000.[69]
Chemical industry
View of salt evaporation pans on the Dead Sea, taken in 1989 from theSpace Shuttle Columbia (STS-28). The southern half is separated from the northern half at what used to be theLisan Peninsula because of the fall in level of the Dead Sea.
View of the mineral evaporation ponds almost 12 years later (STS-102). A northern and small southeastern extension were added and the large polygonal ponds subdivided.
British Mandate period
In the early part of the 20th century, the Dead Sea began to attract interest from chemists who deduced the sea was a natural deposit ofpotash (potassium chloride) andbromine. Aconcession was granted by the British Mandatory government to the newly formed Palestine Potash Company in 1929. Its founder, Siberian Jewish engineer and pioneer ofLake Baikal exploitation,Moses Novomeysky, had worked for the charter for over ten years having first visited the area in 1911.[72] The first plant, on the north shore of the Dead Sea atKalya, commenced production in 1931[72] and produced potash by solar evaporation of the brine. Employing Arabs and Jews, it was an island of peace in turbulent times.[73] In 1934 a second plant was built on the southwest shore, in theMount Sodom area, south of the'Lashon' region of the Dead Sea. Palestine Potash Company supplied half of Britain's potash duringWorld War II. Both plants were destroyed by the Jordanians in the1948 Arab–Israeli War.[74]
Israel
TheDead Sea Works was founded in 1952 as a state-owned enterprise based on the remnants of the Palestine Potash Company.[75] In 1995, the company was privatized and it is now owned byIsrael Chemicals. From the Dead Sea brine, Israel produces (2001) 1.77 milliontons potash, 206,000 tons elemental bromine, 44,900 tonscaustic soda, 25,000 tonsmagnesium metal, and sodium chloride. Israeli companies generate around US$3 billion annually from the sale of Dead Sea minerals (primarily potash and bromine), and from other products that are derived from Dead Sea Minerals.[69]
Jordan
On the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea,Arab Potash (APC), formed in 1956, produces 2.0 million tons of potash annually, as well as sodium chloride and bromine. The plant is located at Safi, South Aghwar Department, in theKarak Governorate.
Jordanian Dead Sea mineral industries generate about $1.2 billion in sales (equivalent to 4 percent of Jordan's GDP).
West Bank
The Palestinian Dead Sea Coast is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) long. The Palestinian economy is unable to benefit from Dead Sea chemicals due to restricted access, permit issues and the uncertainties of the investment climate.[69] The World Bank estimates that a Palestinian Dead Sea chemicals industry could generate $918M incremental value added per year, "almost equivalent to the contribution of the entire manufacturing sector of Palestinian territories today".[69]
Extraction
Both companies, Dead Sea Works Ltd. and Arab Potash, use extensive saltevaporation pans that have essentially diked the entire southern end of the Dead Sea for the purpose of producingcarnallite, potassium magnesium chloride, which is then processed further to produce potassium chloride. Theponds are separated by a central dike that runs roughly north–south along the international border. Thepower plant on the Israeli side allows production of magnesium metal (by a subsidiary, Dead Sea Magnesium Ltd.).
Due to the popularity of the sea's therapeutic and healing properties, several companies have also shown interest in the manufacturing and supplying of Dead Sea salts as raw materials for body and skin care products.
Recession and environmental concerns
Gully in unconsolidated Dead Sea sediments exposed by recession of water levels. It was excavated by floods from theJudean Mountains in less than a year.
Receding shoreline
Since 1930, when its surface was 1,050 km2 (410 sq mi) and its level was 390 m (1,280 ft) below sea level, the Dead Sea has been monitored continuously. The Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking since the 1960s because of diversion of incoming water from the Jordan River to the north[76] as part of theNational Water Carrier scheme,[77] completed in 1964.[78] The southern end is fed by a canal maintained by theDead Sea Works, a company that converts the sea's raw materials. From a water surface of 395 m (1,296 ft) below sea level in 1970[76] it fell 22 to 418 m (72 to 1,371 ft) below sea level in 2006, reaching a drop rate of 1 m (3 ft) per year. By 2025 it reached a height of 439 m (1,440 ft) below sea level, a drop of more than 1 m (3 ft) per year. As the water level decreases, the characteristics[vague] of the Sea and surrounding region may substantially change.
As of 2021[update], the surface of the Sea has shrunk by about 33 percent since the 1960s, which is partly attributed to the much-reduced flow of the Jordan River since the construction of the National Water Carrier project, and the amount of water from the rains reaching the Dead Sea has diminished even further sinceflash floods started pouring into the sinkholes left by its shrinkage. TheEcoPeace Middle East, a joint Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian environmental group, has estimated that the annual flow into the Dead Sea from the Jordan is as of 2021[update] less than 100,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×109 cu ft) of water, compared with former flows of between 1,200,000,000 cubic metres (4.2×1010 cu ft) and 1,300,000,000 cubic metres (4.6×1010 cu ft).[77]
The Dead Sea level drop has been followed by agroundwater level drop, causing brines that used to occupy underground layers near the shoreline to be flushed out by freshwater. This is believed to be the cause of the recent appearance of largesinkholes along the western shore—incoming freshwater dissolves salt layers, rapidly creating subsurface cavities that subsequently collapse to form these sinkholes.[81] As of 2021[update]Ein Gedi, on the western coast, has been subject to a large number of sinkholes appearing in the area, attributed to the decline in the water level of the Dead Sea.[77]
As a result of the sinkholes, most beach resorts along the west shore of the northern basin had to be shut down, with just three remaining near the basin's northwest tip (seeList of beaches in Palestine: Dead Sea).
In May 2009 at theWorld Economic Forum, Jordan introduced plans for a "Jordan National Red Sea Development Project" (JRSP). This is a plan to convey seawater from theRed Sea near Aqaba to the Dead Sea. Water would be desalinated along the route to provide fresh water to Jordan, with the brine discharge sent to the Dead Sea for replenishment. Israel has expressed its support and will likely benefit from some of the water delivery to itsNegev region.[82][83]
At a regional conference in July 2009, officials expressed concern about the declining water levels. Some suggested industrial activities around the Dead Sea might need to be reduced. Others advised environmental measures to restore conditions such as increasing the volume of flow from the Jordan River to replenish the Dead Sea. Currently, only sewage and effluent from fish ponds run in the river's channel. Experts also stressed the need for strict conservation efforts. They said agriculture should not be expanded, sustainable support capabilities should be incorporated into the area and pollution sources should be reduced.[84]
In October 2009, the Jordanians accelerated plans to extract around 300 million cubic metres (11 billion cubic feet) of water per year from the Red Sea, desalinate it for use as fresh water and send the waste water to the Dead Sea by tunnel, despite concerns about inadequate time to assess the potential environmental impact. According to Jordan's minister for water, General Maysoun Zu'bi, this project could be considered as the first phase of theRed Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance.[85]
In December 2013, Israel, Jordan and thePalestinian Authority signed an agreement for laying a water pipeline to link the Red Sea with the Dead Sea. The pipeline would be 180 km (110 mi) long and is estimated to take up to five years to complete.[86] In January 2015 it was reported that the level of water was dropping by 1 m (3.3 ft) a year.[87]
On 27 November 2016, the Jordanian government shortlisted five consortia to implement the project. Jordan's ministry of Water and Irrigation said that the $100 million first phase of the project would begin construction in the first quarter of 2018, and would be completed by 2021.[12] The project was officially abandoned in June 2021, having never broken ground.[88]
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^Kramer, Mordechai R.; Springer, Chaim; Berkman, Neville; Glazer, Mendel; Bublil, Milli; Bar-Yishay, Ephraim; Godfrey, Simon (March 1998). "Rehabilitation of Hypoxemic Patients With COPD at Low Altitude at the Dead Sea, the Lowest Place on Earth".Chest.113 (3):571–575.doi:10.1378/chest.113.3.571.PMID9515826.
^Abu Ghazleh, Shahrazad; Abed, Abdulkader M.; Kempe, Stephan (2010). "The Dramatic Drop of the Dead Sea: Background, Rates, Impacts and Solutions".Macro-engineering Seawater in Unique Environments. Environmental Science and Engineering. pp. 77–105.doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14779-1_4.ISBN978-3-642-14778-4.
^Friedman, Michael; Vidyasagar, Ramakrishnan; Joseph, Ninos (June 2006). "A Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind Study on the Efficacy of Dead Sea Salt Nasal Irrigations".The Laryngoscope.116 (6):878–882.doi:10.1097/01.mlg.0000216798.10007.76.PMID16735920.S2CID13013715.
^Flusser, Daniel; Abu-Shakra, Mahmoud; Friger, Michael; Codish, Shlomi; Sukenik, Shaul (August 2002). "Therapy With Mud Compresses for Knee Osteoarthritis: Comparison of Natural Mud Preparations With Mineral-Depleted Mud".Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.8 (4):197–203.doi:10.1097/00124743-200208000-00003.PMID17041359.S2CID7647456.
^A synagogue mosaic floor (circa 100 BCE) at Ein Gedi repeats the Mishna, portraying a curse on whoever reveals the town's secret persimmon recipe. Papyrus parchments found in caves near the Dead Sea document the vast amount of cultivated land in the area, especially persimmon trees, but also olive and date trees
^abArielli, Nir (2025).The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History. Yale University Press.
^"Wealth From The Dead Sea".Popular Mechanics. Vol. 54, no. 5. Chicago: Hearst Magazines. November 1930. pp. 794–798.Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. Retrieved2020-09-28.
^M. Abelson; Y. Yechieli; O. Crouvi; G. Baer; D. Wachs; A. Bein; V. Shtivelman (2006).Evolution of the Dead Sea Sinkholes in.Geological Society of America. pp. 241–253.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)
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