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Sven Explains: The Dead Sea

Sven Explains what's causing the Dead Sea to shrink.

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on Earth. As you leave Jerusalem, which is 2,400 feet above sea level, you drop to 1,400 feet below sea level when you reach the Dead Sea. That's a drop of nearly 4,000 feet in about a 30 minute drive.

The Dead Sea is rapidly shrinking because its main water source, the Jordan River, is also a main supplier of freshwater to Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. It's dropping at an astonishing rate of three feet per year!

This is creating sink holes because salt and minerals are drawn out of the soil beneath land into the ever shrinking water table.

The 'sea' is actually a salt lake. It's 10 times saltier than the oceans! It's so salty that you float effortlessly. It's impossible to sink!

The Dead Sea is so low that it's much more difficult to get a sunburn. That's because the sun's short wave radiation (UV rays) have more atmosphere to travel through. Think of it as the opposite of being on top of a mountain, where it's easier to burn.

Be sure to follow Sven on Instagram (@explorewithsven) as he travels through Israel this week!

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