The Dead Sea | Lowest Water Body on Earth

This article will give the information about Dead Sea. It will tell you it was named so and everything related to it. For the exam purpose it is from the section of Geography. 

It is said that life started in seas and oceans. But do you know the sea, whose water if you drink you may die? ‘The dead sea‘ is the only ocean in the world where the existence of life is impossible. So let’s see why it is known as the Dead Sea.  

Where it is located? 

The Dead Sea is landlocked between the border of Israel and Jordan and lies in the Jordan Rift Valley. It is popular for its lowest elevation and high salinity. This is the reason why it is also known as ‘ The Deepest Hypersaline Lake’  in the World. The surface area of the sea is 605 km². Its average depth measures 200 meters.

Why it is known as the lowest water body on Earth?

The Dead Sea is placed 430.5 meters below sea level and also has the lowest elevation, making it the lowest water body on the surface of Earth.

The Reason Behind Its Name The Dead Sea 

The oceans on earth have a salinity of 3.5%. This salinity does not cause any harm to fishes, plants, humans, and other living organisms and so living bodies can easily survive in the oceans. However, the Dead Sea is a 10 times saltier than ordinary seawater for which it was known as the Salt Sea. It contains 34% salinity which is so far. Due to this extreme saltiness, it is impossible to reside in this sea. No fish, no plants, or no living thing can survive in it.  Hence, it is named the Dead Sea. Exceptions to this, barely a few organisms and algae can survive in the Dead Sea.

Can humans swim in the Dead Sea? And is it safe?
When it comes to the Dead Sea, the concept of swimming is non-existent. No one can swim in the dead sea but can float on the sea. Because of the higher concentration of minerals, the density of this seawater becomes very high. And the density of the human body is lower than the water. Thus, we can easily float on the Dead Sea without much effort and won’t even sink in the water. 

Things that must be regretted when going into the sea
Floating on the dead sea even when you don’t know how to swim is very exciting and joyful. But on the other side, it is dangerous too. The dead sea is very salty, so going to the sea when the sun is on the head should be avoided. The best time to visit the sea is before sunrise. Apply the dead sea mud to your body before going into the sea. And avoid your face from touching the water, it might be harsh to your skin. It is preferred to stay in the water for only 10 minutes maximum for preventing your skin from burning.

Best Healing properties that could not be found in any other place 

The Dead Sea water and its mud are full of healing properties that are essential to the body. The Dead Sea is rich in many minerals such as sodium, calcium, zinc, potassium, bromide, magnesium, etc.  Many people visit the Dead Sea every year just to take a bath in Dead Sea mud. Here are some of the best advantages of bathing in the Dead Sea :

• Effective on the rheumatologic ailment :
  The Dead Sea mud has ample of good properties to cure diseases related to the immune system such as psoriasis. It can also be effective if applied to treat rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. 
• Improve skin conditions :
  Its salt is useful to keep skin moisturize. And its mud can be very helpful for reducing acne, dry skin, and roughness. For getting elasticity of your skin the sea mud is very beneficial as it contains a high amount of salt and magnesium.