When did the Dead Sea become salty?

Way back in time, going back about 3.7 million years ago, it was a salt water lagoon. Through geological upheavals from the Arabian and African tectonic plates the sea was cut off from the Mediterranean. In the harsh desert environment, water evaporated, leaving behind the salty remains that are still there today.



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ESTRIN: That could take over 100 years. Some researchers are optimistic that, as the Dead Sea level drops more and more, an urgency will grow to save it with desalinated water. The question is how long the natural wonder that's existed for millions of years will keep disappearing - 4 feet a year.

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Antarctica has the honors of having the saltiest body of water. It is actually more of an ankle deep pond most of the year, but its average salinity is a whopping 40%. Don Juan Pond is located along the edge of the continent in the McMurdo Dry Valley region.

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About 3 million years ago, water filled the graben, forming the Dead Sea, which was then part of a long bay of the Mediterranean Sea. A million years later, tectonic activity lifted the land to the west, isolating the Dead Sea from the Mediterranean.

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The high salt content will burn if it gets into the eyes. ? Don't drink the water. ? Wear an old bathing suit; the water content will cause your swimsuit to fade in color. ? The recommended amount of time to swim in the Dead Sea is 20 minutes or less; staying too long can cause dehydration.

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No matter what time of year you choose to visit the Dead Sea, it's important to remember that swimming in its waters can be dangerous due to its high salt content and strong currents. Visitors must take safety precautions, such as wearing a life jacket or using a floatation device when swimming in these waters.

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Located on the border between Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea is one of the most intriguing natural phenomena on Earth. Aside for some microorganisms and algae, this salt water lake is completely devoid of life. There's no seaweed, fish or any other creatures found in or around its turquoise waters.

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With a salinity level over 40 percent, Don Juan is significantly saltier than most of the other hypersaline lakes around the world. The Dead Sea has a salinity of 34 percent; the Great Salt Lake varies between 5 and 27 percent. Earth's oceans have an average salinity of 3.5 percent.

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Whilst boats can easily float in the Dead Sea like a human body, the water's buoyancy makes it impossible for boats to effectively move through the lake.

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The Dead Sea is shrinking, and as it recedes, the fresh water aquifers along the perimeter of the lake are receding along with it. As this fresh water diffuses into salt deposits beneath the surface of the shoreline, the water slowly dissolves the deposits until the earth above collapses without warning.

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As the lake dries up, salt deposits dissolve underground, and cavities along the shore open up into sinkholes — large craters in the earth. One popular beach was closed because a sinkhole swallowed up the parking lot. The shore remains eerily littered with beach chairs, a mini barbecue set and an abandoned bar.

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The Dead Sea is fed mainly by the Jordan River, which enters the lake from the north. Several smaller streams also enter the sea, chiefly from the east. The lake has no outlet, and the heavy inflow of fresh water is carried off solely by evaporation, which is rapid in the hot desert climate.

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