Dead Sea

Title Dead Sea, Middle East Released 07/11/2014 10:00 am Copyright USGS/ESA Description - This image from the Landsat-8 satellite brings us over part of the Middle East, with the Jordan Rift Valley running north to south. The most prominent feature in this image is the Dead Sea: the lowest point on Earth's surface, more than 420 m below sea level. The extremely high salinity means fish cannot live in this water body, although there are bacteria and fungi. With the Jordan River as its main source of water, the Dead Sea is an 'endorheic' basin, meaning that the water has no outflow. Nonetheless, the water level has been dropping, an effect of the diversion of incoming water from the river. Note the greenish rectangles just south of the Sea. This is a large complex of mineral evaporation ponds used to produce sodium chloride and other salts for the chemical industry and human and animal consumption.
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