People Can Float In The Dead Sea

Question: Why can we float in the Dead Sea?

Answer: The Dead Sea is located at the deepest point in the Great Rift Valley, which extends from Syria to Mozambique. The Great Rift Valley is the world’s longest geographic phenomenon – 6,400 km (4000 miles), crossing through 20 countries. Despite the name, the Dead Sea is not a sea, but a lake.

The Dead Sea is 377 m (1,237 ft) deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. The Dead Sea is 3 million years old and also the second saltiest body of water in the world, with a salt content of 33%.

The Dead Sea’s unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float in the Dead Sea due to natural buoyancy. You can lay on the surface of the water without even trying to float.

There is no marine life in the Dead Sea. The high mineral and salt content of the waters make it impossible for fish or plants to live.

See also: Disappearing Dead Sea: Sinkholes As Deep As Eight-Story Buildings Cover The Biblical Place

The Dead Sea has been of great importance since ancient times. Both Jesus and John the Baptist are closely tied to the Dead Sea in biblical writings. Egyptians used mud from the Dead Sea in their mummification of the deceased and Cleopatra loved the Dead Sea so much, she ordered that cosmetic factories and resorts be built along its shores.

Cool Science Facts: People can float in the Dead Sea

Unfortunately, the Dead Sea is undergoing a number of changes. For the past few decades, the sea has been shrinking rapidly and disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving behind thousands of sinkholes. More than 3,000 sinkholes exist along the banks of the Dead Sea. Some of these craters dive 80 feet into the ground – the equivalent of about an eight-story building.
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Source: Dead Sea – Wonder of Nature