Appearing as a sparkling turquoise oasis in the middle of the desert, it has long attracted flocks of visitors. Not only is it beautiful to see, but its high salt content is also a big attraction. Salt crystals and other salt formations decorate the landscape, giving it a kind of otherworldly, magical appearance. And because there’s so much salt in the water, the water is very dense (much denser than freshwater). Therefore, things that are less dense than the salty water will float — including people. Because our bodies are less dense than the water in the Dead Sea, we can almost “sit” on the water, which is just super cool. The salt and other minerals of the Dead Sea are also known for their healing properties, especially for skin problems.
Throughout history, people have come to soak in the Dead Sea’s healing waters, to see its beauty, and to bob on its surface. But the region surrounding it is starting to look a bit like dried-out Swiss cheese: pockmarked with holes — sinkholes, to be exact. (Sinkholes are big holes that open up in the ground when part of the Earth’s surface collapses.
This generally happens when whatever’s underground, like limestone, gypsum, sand, clay or the like, dissolves or shifts when a lot of water moves, shifts, or flows into or out of one concentrated area.)
But most of us can’t even see them.
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