The Dead Sea is a Lac of salted water of the the Middle East. From an approximate surface of 1050 km ², it is fed by the the Jordan and is bordered by Israel, the West Bank and the Jordan. Whereas the average Salinité of the water of Mer oscillates center 4 and 6%, that of the Dead Sea is roughly 22 to 25%. Its rate of Sodium is of 275 grams per liter of water while in sea water, it is approximately 35 grams per liter. Very few living beings can remain under such conditions.

The fall of the Pluviométrie, started there is: approximately 40000 years, involved, because of a very strong evaporation, a regression of the lake and an continuous increase of its salinity.

The aforementioned “water” is a salt cocktail whose concentration differs largely from the normal salinity of a Océan. The Chloride of Magnesium and the chloride Potassium are the main components of this solution.

The Densité of the Dead Sea is such as an human being can float there without any problem. It is on the other hand almost impossible (and very dangerous) to try to swim there: the least contact of water on the mouth, the nose or the eyes can indeed be dangerous.

The Dead Sea is the point low of the sphere (417 m under the Sea level) but of other points of the African Rift could one day supplant it.

Anecdote: Cléopâtre practiced mud baths of the Dead Sea to preserve its dye. Indeed, this mud makes it possible to soften the skin and to make the hair softer.

Future of the Dead Sea

Like the Sea of Aral and the Lake Chad, the Dead Sea lost, these fifty last years, the third of its Superficie. The essential cause is the increasing Surexploitation the Jordan, its only source of fresh water, at ends of Irrigation. Another important cause is the evaporation of large volumes of water by the factory of production of marine salt Morte, one of the rare factories providers of labor of the area.

The reduction of the surface of the Dead Sea continues day after day, and creates a ecological, economic and geostrategic risk in the long term in the area.

A solution would consist in digging a channel (called channel of peace ) since the Red Sea, over a 180 km length. The difference in level would make it possible to add a power station of production of electricity. One would also build a power station of Dessalement. At the end of 2006, the the World Bank, the Europe, the Japan and the the United States financed a one two years duration feasibility study at an estimated cost of 15 million dollars. The total costs of the project are estimated at 3 or 4 billion dollars.

This solution had already been considered in 1902 by Theodor Herzl, but starting from the Mediterranean because nearer. It had been envisaged several projects of which one consisted of an underground channel. The first meters were inaugurated by Menahem Begin, but the digging was suspended then the idea was abandoned in 1985.

Following the Agreements of Oslo in 1993, the idea was given to the last style while implying the Palestinian Autorité and the Jordan. The idea is to pump the water of the Red Sea until in the mountains close to the Golfe of Akaba (either 600m with the top of the Morte sea level). Then a channel of 184 km would be dug in Jordanian territory including 134 km covered to bring water.

See too

Related articles

• Handwritten of Qumrân

External bonds

• Photographs of the Dead Sea (Jordan)

• Other images of the Dead Sea

Be-X-old: Мёртваемора Simple: Dead Sea Zh-min-nan: Sí-hái