Why is the Dead Sea's salinity increasing?

If you step into the water on the border between Jordan and Israel, you shouldn't choke too often because of the salt content of the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea facts

• If you look closely, the Dead Sea is not a sea, but a lake. The body of water extends over 67 kilometers in length and 18 kilometers in width. Would you like to take a walk around the sea? Here you go, after 135 kilometers you are back at your starting point.
• Apart from the spectacular scenery around the Dead Sea, this body of water holds a number of records. It is the deepest lake on earth, because it is about 420 meters below sea level. When you lie on the shore in the sun in the Dead Sea region, you are in the deepest land on earth.
• On average, the water depth is around 120 meters. However, this average is caused by extreme values, because the southern bay is about 4 meters deep, while in the north it goes down to almost 400 meters.
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Whether the salt content is actually increasing

• The Dead Sea gets its water from numerous rivers, with the Jordan having a strong influence. So the water arrives in the body of water - and is locked in, so to speak, because there is no drain.


Are there fish in the Dead Sea?

As the name Dead Sea suggests, there is no life there, at least ...

• Since the climate in this region is characterized by extreme heat and drought, a particularly large amount of water evaporates. The salt remains. And since the Jordan does not provide as much water as the Dead Sea evaporates, the salinity of the Dead Sea increases.
• A look into the past shows that 4000 years ago the water level was around 170 meters higher. The Dead Sea was once a lot bigger than it is today and researchers assume that there will be no Dead Sea in 2050 because the water level drops by around 30 centimeters each year.
• Industry, agriculture - but also private households divert water from the Jordan for their needs, so it is simply no longer enough to feed the lake.