Why is the Dead Sea Called Dead Sea
1
Why is the Dead Sea dead? Why so salty? The Dead Sea is a terminus for the flow of rain and surface water. Water flows in but not out. Its water has no escape, but is trapped to evaporate. The Sea has always had a large surface area and a negative altitude – the lowest point on Earth! Soaring summer temperatures and year-round hot dry climatic conditions lead to significant losses of water to evaporation. The water has been losing its H2O content for 65,000 years, with the minerals becoming more and more concentrated and salt prominent among them. In various languages, the Dead Sea is referred to by different names, all reflective of its characteristics. Salt Sea Its earliest known name is recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, where the name of the Dead Sea is "The Salt Sea”, from the Book of Genesis through to The Prophets and later Writings. The Sea is named thus, for its unique character: – it's significantly high salt content and a source for rock and sea salts. In the later Roman Era, salt was a highly-valued, strictly controlled commodity, more so than gold or silver. The Roman armies were paid in salt, rather than hard currency, The Latin word for salt – sal – forms the basis of the word ‘salary' from this same meaning. The Romans, beginning with Emperor Trajan, constructed a series of fortresses to dominate every entry and exit ravine for the movement of Dead Sea salt, guaranteeing the payments of tax by the traders. This tax was also paid in salt, rather than coinage. Floating lumps of salt; or clusters of salt crystals were once prevalent on the Dead Sea surface and were easily gathered for market. Dead Sea Earliest translations of the name of the Dead Sea into non-indigenous languages often use its original name of "The Salt Sea”, but already by the Roman Era, visitors to Judea had begun to refer to the sea as the "Dead Sea”, as they were mostly struck with how the waters were devoid of all life-forms, whether plants or living creatures, thereby in their view, earning it this title of a "Dead” Sea. Death Sea Often considered a mistranslation of the name of the "Dead” Sea defining its name in some languages, this name is likely no more than a corruption in meaning. Nevertheless, in the days when the Jordan River flowed south from the Sea of Galilee with full force in the wet season, one could witness reeds and fish swept down with the river flow into the highly saline water of the Dead Sea. Fish nor algae can't possibly survive in water with 10 times the salinity of the oceans. It was a death-trap for them and perhaps another reason for this name.
-
Upload
travisjones -
Category
Documents
-
view
10 -
download
3
description
about the dead sea
Transcript of Why is the Dead Sea Called Dead Sea
Why is the Dead Sea dead?
Why so salty?The Dead Sea is a terminus for the flow of rain and surface water. Water flows in but not out. Its water has no escape, but is trapped to evaporate. The Sea has always had a large surface area and a negative altitude – the lowest point on Earth!Soaring summer temperatures and year-round hot dry climatic conditions lead to significant losses of water to evaporation. The water has been losing its H2O content for 65,000 years, with the minerals becoming more and more concentrated and salt prominent among them.In various languages, the Dead Sea is referred to by different names, all reflective of its characteristics. Salt SeaIts earliest known name is recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, where the name of the Dead Sea is "The Salt Sea”, from the Book of Genesis through to The Prophets and later Writings. The Sea is named thus, for its unique character: – it's significantly high salt content and a source for rock and sea salts.In the later Roman Era, salt was a highly-valued, strictly controlled commodity, more so than gold or silver. The Roman armies were paid in salt, rather than hard currency, The Latin word for salt – sal – forms the basis of the word ‘salary' from this same meaning. The Romans, beginning with Emperor Trajan, constructed a series of fortresses to dominate every entry and exit ravine for the movement of Dead Sea salt, guaranteeing the payments of tax by the traders. This tax was also paid in salt, rather than coinage.Floating lumps of salt; or clusters of salt crystals were once prevalent on the Dead Sea surface and wereeasily gathered for market. Dead SeaEarliest translations of the name of the Dead Sea into non-indigenous languages often use its original name of "The Salt Sea”, but already by the Roman Era, visitors to Judea had begun to refer to the sea asthe "Dead Sea”, as they were mostly struck with how the waters were devoid of all life-forms, whether plants or living creatures, thereby in their view, earning it this title of a "Dead” Sea. Death Sea Often considered a mistranslation of the name of the "Dead” Sea defining its name in some languages, this name is likely no more than a corruption in meaning. Nevertheless, in the days when the Jordan River flowed south from the Sea of Galilee with full force in the wet season, one could witness reeds and fish swept down with the river flow into the highly saline water of the Dead Sea. Fish nor algae can't possibly survive in water with 10 times the salinity of the oceans. It was a death-trap for them and perhaps another reason for this name.
