Climate change has the ability to alter what humans are used to when it comes to the Dead Sea, and those effects on the Dead Sea could have major ramifications.
The Dead Sea, a worldwide wonder that sits 400 meters below sea level, borders Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank in the Middle East. It’s so hot in the area that the amount of water lost to evaporation is greater than the amount of water that feeds into the sea, leaving behind massive salt deposits,
according to the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Barely any life can be found in the sea due to the high salinity of the water.
Here are five impacts to the Dead Sea that are blamed on climate change.
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1. The region is expected to become more arid, and that is lowering the lake’s surface,
according to Live Science. The change in climate will lead to humans taking more water before it has the chance to reach the sea, thus lowering the lake level.
2. The lake could completely disappear, leaving just salt deposits and beaches, Live Science reported. That occurred around 100,000 years ago according to a presentation at the American Geophysical Union’s 2012 annual meeting. It happened during an interglacial period, and the salt deposits were about 150 feet deep.
3. Climate change has lowered water levels and in turn that has exposed dangerous sinkholes. The smaller amount of water available to agriculture and industry – and their pumping of water – has exposed sinkholes,
Bloomberg reported. Considering the Dead Sea’s popularity as a tourist destination, this can have dramatic effects on the economy and safety.
4. Government organizations are working to find ideas to stem the loss of water in the Dead Sea caused by climate change, and one possible solution is to transfer water from the Red Sea and brine from desalination plants to level off the Dead Sea’s depth, according to Bloomberg Business. But there is risk to the sea, as increased amounts of gypsum and other microorganism growth would likely occur due to mixing different types of water.
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5. Endemic species and migrating birds are seeing huge changes in their habitat because of the sea’s decline, attributed partly to climate change.
According to an article by Dave Levitan on Environment 360, sinkholes have swallowed trees. An Israeli researcher, Eli Raz, said that special habitats and endemic species are under threat due to receding water levels. Oases that once existed can disappear, affecting migratory birds.
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