Dead Sea

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Dead Sea shoreline

Ruins of the Masada fortress

Why is seawater so salty?

Explore the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv–Yafo and the natural sites of the Dead Sea and the Red Canyon

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Dead Sea

Dead Sea summary

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Dead Sea: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Flood warnings issued for Dead Sea, Jordan River areas on Sunday, Monday • Apr. 12, 2025, 8:22 AM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Did You Know?

The Dead Seas water is a third salt, roughly 9 times higher than most ocean water.
The Dead Sea actually contains many small organisms, microbes able to survive in salty water.

Photos and Videos

Dead Sea shoreline

Ruins of the Masada fortress

Why is seawater so salty?

Explore the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv–Yafo and the natural sites of the Dead Sea and the Red Canyon

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List

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up