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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 20, 2011
Dying for salt You might have heard of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, but have you ever come across the ‘Dead Sea’? No, it’s not the sea where zombies go for vacations. Then why do you think the Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea? Because that’s what you’ll be if you decide to venture into it? Not exactly … the Dead Sea gets its name from the fact that there are no living creatures in or around it except for some bacteria. How do you think this sea was formed? Fascinated already? This is nothing…keep reading to find out facts you have probably never heard of and things no school teacher will teach you!
Maze
Location The Dead Sea is located in Israel and Jordan, about 15 miles east of Jerusalem. At 400 metres (1,320 feet) below sea level it is the lowest place on earth. The Dead Sea is located in the Judean Desert area, a part of the Syrian — East Africa Rift Valley, with the Judean mountains to the west and the Moab mountains to the east.
How dead is the Dead Sea? The Dead Sea is the saltiest sea in the world. It is completely landlocked and it gets saltier as you go deeper. What you’ll see on the shores of the sea is white, crystals of salt covering everything and this is no ordinary table salt either. The salts found in the Dead Sea are mineral salts, just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. The water in the Dead Sea is deadly to most living things. Fish accidentally swimming into the waters from one of the several freshwater streams that feed the sea are killed instantly, their bodies quickly coated with a preserving layer of salt crystals and then tossed onto shore. While the Dead Sea may be notorious for killing off marine creatures, its salts are widely used for health and beauty purposes. In fact, it’s considered by some to be the largest spa on earth!
Explore
without even trying! That’s what’s so cool about the Dead Sea. The presence of salt in such high quantities allows our bodies to float like a cork in water! Just make sure you don’t drink the water!
Why is the Dead Sea so salty? All rivers in the region fall into the sea. But the interesting bit is that ... no rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. The only way water gets out of the sea is through evaporation. And boy does it evaporate! This part of the world can get pretty hot. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind all the dissolved minerals in the sea, just making it saltier.
Legend According to Greek legend, the village in Phrygia refused to be hospitable to Zeus and Hermes and therefore, the angry gods sank the village under a lake. Since they were so prone to punishing people, there came about a belief that the valley was sunk beneath the waters of the Dead Sea because of a similar offence by the people.
Fun Facts • • • • • •
How deadly is the sea for us humans?
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Humans are very adaptable creatures. We can swim in the Dead Sea, just like we can swim in the ocean except people in the sea don’t really swim! They just float around
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The Dead Sea isn’t actually a sea at all! The Dead Sea is a saltwater lake. Cleopatra loved the Dead Sea so much, she ordered that cosmetic factories and resorts be built along its shores. Egyptians used mud from the Dead Sea in their mummification of the deceased. Centuries ago, one of the popular names of the Dead Sea was “The Stinky Sea”. In the Bible, it is said that the Dead Sea will one day come alive and fill with marine life. The unique salt in the Dead Sea treats acne, psoriasis, hives, cellulite, dry skin, dandruff, stress, muscle aches, and more. During the 20th Century, the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were discovered. These scrolls are the ancient writings of the Essenes. The Dead Sea is 3 million years old.
SOURCE: BOGGLESWORLD.COM
ha ha ha
Where do ghosts swim on holiday? In the Dead Sea! What do two oceans do when they meet? Nothing, they just wave! Who lives in a sand castle? A sandwitch! Where do rocks like to spend their summer? ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID
At Pebble Beach What letter is always wet?
How to make
C! (Sea, get it?) Where do you take a sick boat? To the dock!
Creating Coloured Salt
Why do fish swim in salt water? Because pepper makes them sneeze!!!!!!.
This is a fun craft project for kids in the summer. It is time-consuming and inexpensive to do. Recycle jam or mustard jars, create the colour salt and then fill the glasses up in layers of colours.
For this project you will need: • • • • •
Salt Street chalk in different colours Small bowls for mixing and glasses Jelly jars Mustard jars, wide straight glasses to fill the sand in
Instructions: 1.
2. 3.
The first step is to fill a small bowl up with the amount of salt you need. Insert the chalk and work it around the salt in a circular motion. This will start to colour the salt. A little patience is needed. Continue until the colour is as intense as you would like it to be. Fill your glass now with the coloured salts. This will create layers of different colours. If you would like to create patterns and designs, take a spoon end or a knitting needle and insert it in the glass and poke the colours down as desired. By moving the object around, you can create many interesting looks. SOURCE: CRAFTIDEAS.INFO