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The Dead Sea is that lies between
Israel and Jordan. (Picture from:
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The Dead Sea was drained a couple of times on hundreds of thousands of years ago. Saltwater lake that lies on the border of Israel and Jordan is now dry again threatened because of human activity.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University found evidence that the threat of drought after a drilling depth of 460 meters below the base of the Dead Sea. The sedimentary record all the natural phenomena that occur in the area over the past 200 thousand years.
Drilling results indicate the salt-containing layer of tidal water at the lowest land on earth is. Of this layer are researchers can investigate the period of drought and low rainfall which caused the water to shrink until the middle of the lake.
The lake has experienced two major drought. The first period occurred about 120 thousand years ago, in conjunction with the release of human ancestors from Africa due to extreme cold climate that surrounds the earth.
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| Dead Sea, the view from the side of Israel across the Jordan. (Picture from: http://id.wikipedia.org/) |
The next drought period occurred about 13 thousand years ago or almost simultaneously with the start of the farming lifestyle of our ancestors. Shrinkage of the lake water is caused by a cold climate.
Now the surface of the Dead Sea region are as deep as 426 meters below sea level. Surface of the lake continues to recede as if to repeat the previous drought periods. The difference this time change is no longer driven by the cold climate.
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| Monument as the World's Lowest Point in Jordan. (Picture from: http://forum.vibizportal.com/) |
"What happened today is similar dry periods in the past. Man becomes the cause of this drought," said researcher geology of Tel Aviv University, Ben Avraham.
The water should flow into the Dead Sea, he said, are now diverted to other areas to meet the needs of farmers. This causes the supply of water to the Dead Sea is reduced drastically. Rise and fall of sea level is expected to continue if humans continue to exploit the waters of the Jordan. Periods of drought could have approached the Dead Sea in the near future. *** [ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3849]
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