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

For Students

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 •

Flooding to be expecting on Sunday in Judean Desert, Dead Sea areas • Feb. 15, 2025, 5:30 AM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Conflict Complicates Environmental Problems at the Dead Sea • Feb. 3, 2025, 3:26 AM ET (Voice of America English News)

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

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

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Quiz

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International Waters

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

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