The Dead Sea is characterized by extremes. This is the lowest place in the world at nearly 1,400 feet below sea level. The salinity ranges from 20% to about 35%, nearly ten times as salty as ocean water. It is also the deepest hypersaline lake on earth at 1,083 feet. Only a few microorganisms can live in this caustic environment. Any sea life arriving from the Jordan River quickly die. Annual rainfall is scarce: about four inches in the north and less than two inches in the south. In the summer, the average high temperature ranges from 90° to over 100° Fahrenheit. This hostile climate has made the bordering Judean Desert a barren wasteland. In short, the Dead Sea is a fascinating place to visit but you probably would not want to live there.
