Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: neilep on 12/10/2007 18:39:28

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: neilep on 12/10/2007 18:39:28

Dear living peeps,

This is the Dead Sea

 [ Invalid Attachment ]


It's like well salty !!

I've had the pleasure of floating in it and I can tell ewe that it makes ewe...well buoyant !!...In fact, I believe it is also the lowest (above ground) point below sea level on the planet....which is nice !.....i've also been told that (pending being attached to a lot of weights) it's impossible to drown in it because ewe simply can't stay beneath the surface !!....Confirmation of this would be nice.

I would like to know how salty it is ?..if you removed all the salt how much volume would there be ?...how did it become so salty ?

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: another_someone on 12/10/2007 18:49:46

The question about how it got to be so is answered in your earlier question:  Salt Water & Fresh Water...they're the main two eh ? (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=9629.msg118109#msg118109).

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Karen W. on 14/10/2007 21:49:11

Quote from: neilep on 12/10/2007 18:39:28

Dear living peeps,

This is the Dead Sea

 [ Invalid Attachment ]


It's like well salty !!

I've had the pleasure of floating in it and I can tell ewe that it makes ewe...well buoyant !!...In fact, I believe it is also the lowest (above ground) point below sea level on the planet....which is nice !.....i've also been told that (pending being attached to a lot of weights) it's impossible to drown in it because ewe simply can't stay beneath the surface !!....Confirmation of this would be nice.

I would like to know how salty it is ?..if you removed all the salt how much volume would there be ?...how did it become so salty ?

You mean that may be a place I can go and not worry of drowning??

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: another_someone on 15/10/2007 02:07:25

Actually, you can drown in 2 inches of water.  You cannot submerge your whole body, but you can still immerse you face in it, and so drown.

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Karen W. on 15/10/2007 09:16:51

Maybe I can go and not worry about sinking.. I should be able to keep the head above water eh?

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: neilep on 15/10/2007 09:20:19

Quote from: Karen W. on 15/10/2007 09:16:51

Maybe I can go and not worry about sinking.. I should be able to keep the head above water eh?

as long as ewe do as George suggested you'd be more than just keeping your head above water...a substantial amount of your body would be raised above the surface too !!

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Karen W. on 15/10/2007 09:26:23

what did he suggest???  did I miss it?

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: neilep on 15/10/2007 09:27:36

Quote from: Karen W. on 15/10/2007 09:26:23

what did he suggest???  did I miss it?

...he just stated that with your face down anyone can drown in two inches of water....

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Karen W. on 15/10/2007 09:37:05

LOL LOL Hee hee your so funny! I did miss it like that anyway.. it went over my head.. thanks for sending it back.. LOL..

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Bass on 16/10/2007 22:57:50

Sparse rainfall + traces of dissolved minerals in water flowing into the Dead Sea + no outlet + high evaporation = lots of salt (around 31% if I remember correctly)

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Andrew K Fletcher on 18/10/2007 10:23:06

Same happens with irrigation systems in a hot dry environment.

Past civilizations have failed to maintain soils because high evaporation rates leaves a crust of salts and contaminates underground water reserves.

The Aral Sea has gone the same way recently killing off it's fish stocks as salts increase due to overuse of the waters for irrigation, Salt from the aral sea has blown across ther irrigated lands and killed the crops. I suspect the same happened here in the Black Sea.

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsimg.bbc.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F40323000%2Fjpg%2F_40323013_aralboat_ifas_203.jpg&hash=fa960af60f6a947285cd4b215156800d)

Quote from: Bass on 16/10/2007 22:57:50

Sparse rainfall + traces of dissolved minerals in water flowing into the Dead Sea + no outlet + high evaporation = lots of salt (around 31% if I remember correctly)

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: Alandriel on 18/10/2007 14:35:23

I've attempted to dive in the Dead Sea.

SCUBA dive.

That was an interesting episode.

I (used to) weigh 50kg (now just a wee bit more) and wearing a 1mm protective suit plus alumunium air tanks (12lt) it took 5kg lead weights to get me under (hydrostatically balanced that is) in the Red Sea -> average of 42 ppt salt.

Same equipment, in the Dead Sea I gave up when they put 25kg on me and I still would not sink - its salinity is approx 300ppt

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F7%2F7a%2FDead_sea_newspaper.jpg%2F250px-Dead_sea_newspaper.jpg&hash=d98524991fc4f1f700ce77caa32f33a4)

 [;D]

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: CliffordK on 03/12/2010 16:06:08

Thanks for the notes...
And I thought the USA had some of the records...  :(

Dead Sea Elevation: -422 m (−1,385 ft)
Death Valley Elevation: −86 m (-282 ft)

Dead Sea Salinity: 33.7%
Great Salt Lake Salinity: 27%
Lake Assal (Djibouti) Salinity: 34.8% to 40% (at 20m).
Garabogazköl Salinity: 35% (bay)

Anyway, I think the problem with Great Salt lake is that it gets too cold in the winter.

I've been to Great Salt Lake...  I wanted to go swimming, but it just wasn't appealing   [xx(]
Something about it, it just didn't seem like clean water...  Plus I think a shower afterward would be called for.

You look relaxed with the newspaper.

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: SteveFish on 03/12/2010 16:26:15

I would be a little concerned about this level of salt concentration coming into contact with sensitive mucous membranes in the eyes and privates. It seems like it might be painful.

Title: The Dead Sea !...a few questions ?
Post by: maffsolo on 03/12/2010 19:44:35

Quote from: another_someone on 15/10/2007 02:07:25

Actually, you can drown in 2 inches of water.  You cannot submerge your whole body, but you can still immerse you face in it, and so drown.

Doctor told me to layoff the salt!
Now I need not to fill my 2 inch deep soup bowl, for fear I may nod out into it face first and drown!