Dead Sea

The Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, between the hills west of the lake and the plateaus of Jordan to the east. It occupies a deep, low-lying basin formed by movement along an active plate boundary. The Jordan River enters from the north, along with smaller streams, but the lake has no river outlet; in the arid climate, evaporation is the principal way water is lost. Its surface is among the lowest elevations on Earth's land surface, although the exact level changes over time.

Water entering the basin carries dissolved minerals. In a closed lake, evaporation removes water but leaves most dissolved salts behind, helping produce the Dead Sea's exceptionally dense brine. That density makes people more buoyant than they would be in fresh water. The salinity also limits the lake's aquatic life: ordinary fish cannot survive in it, while salt-tolerant microorganisms can. Plants adapted to saline soils occur in parts of the surrounding landscape, especially near freshwater channels.

Since the mid-twentieth century, the lake has lost substantial water and its level has fallen. A central cause is the reduction of freshwater reaching it from the Jordan River as water is diverted and used upstream for agriculture and other needs; evaporation in the dry basin compounds the imbalance. As the shore retreats, groundwater can dissolve buried salt layers beneath exposed ground. The resulting cavities may collapse into sinkholes, making some areas around the lake unsafe for construction and travel.

The lake's mineral-rich water and salts have long supported human activity. Modern mineral production includes potash and other compounds; in the southern part of the lake, evaporation ponds concentrate brine for extraction. These facilities are distinct from the natural northern basin. The lake's decline links local livelihoods and industrial uses with water demands across the surrounding region, while changes in the shoreline also create environmental and infrastructure challenges.