Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a hypersaline lake situated in the Jordan Rift Valley, bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are approximately 430 meters below sea level, making it the Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Jordan River is its primary tributary, flowing into the lake from the north.

It is called the "Dead Sea" because its extreme salinity—nearly ten times saltier than normal ocean water—prevents macroscopic aquatic life from surviving. The high concentration of dissolved salts makes the water too harsh for fish or plants to live in. However, the lake does host extremophilic bacteria and archaea that have adapted to the harsh conditions.

The extreme density of the water in the Dead Sea, caused by its massive salt content, makes human bodies highly buoyant. Because the water is denser than the human body, it naturally pushes you to the surface, allowing anyone to float effortlessly on their back. The mineral-rich mud along the shores is also a popular cosmetic treatment.

The Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate of roughly 1 meter per year. This is primarily because the flow of water from the Jordan River, its main source, has been heavily diverted for agricultural and domestic use by surrounding countries. As the water level drops, thousands of dangerous sinkholes have formed along the receding shoreline.