On a map, the Dead Sea appears to be an expanse of water among others. Its altitude reveals a completely different story: it occupies a depression located several hundred meters below sea level. Its shores are among the lowest landmasses in the world.
Despite its name, this basin has no opening to the ocean. The water that reaches it, especially by the Jordan, does not leave by an emissary river. Its very high salinity prevents fish from living there, but that does not mean that any form of life is absent: the ESA mentions bacteria and fungi.
Satellite images also reveal a changing landscape. The diversion of some of the incoming waters contributes to the decline in its level. An altitude found in an old article is therefore not an eternal measure. Even what looks like a simple number on a map has a story.
What we know
Basin and land, not the deepest point of the oceans. Accurate altitude voluntarily not presented as a current measure.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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