I Can’t Sleep - The Dead Sea | Calm Bedtime Reading for Sleep

Episode Date: June 5, 2019

Unwind with calm bedtime reading about the Dead Sea to ease insomnia and restless nights. This soothing episode explores the unique salt lake bordered by Jordan and Israel, known for its extreme salinity, mineral-rich waters, and place in history and culture. Benjamin’s gentle cadence makes learning peaceful, guiding you through its geography, significance, and natural wonders. With no whispering or hypnosis—just calm, fact-filled storytelling—you’ll feel stress easing, your mind quieting, and rest arriving naturally. Press play, imagine the still waters of the Dead Sea, and drift into sleep. Want More? Request a Topic: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/request-a-topic Ad-Free Episodes: https://icantsleep.supportingcast.fm/ Shop Sleep-Friendly Products: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/sponsors Join the Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/myhGhVUhn7 This content is derived from the Wikipedia article on Dead Sea, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. Read the full article: Wikipedia – Dead Sea. Happy sleeping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to a Glassbox media podcast. What if I told you that most of the modern day self-help advice you've been hearing could actually make you worse? The key to a better life isn't about feel-good gimmicks that sound catchy. The Mentally Stronger Podcast gives you access to a licensed therapist who shares science-backed tools that will actually change your life. Hi, I'm Amy Morin, psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and international best-selling author. In each episode, we cover research-back strategies, like how to stop relying on willpower and start creating habits for lasting change. And the five mental strength-building exercises you can do from your couch. I also speak to world-class experts like Dr. Nicole Kane, who shares how to permanently heal anxiety by addressing the root cause.

With over 200 episodes in our catalog, this podcast is for you if you're ready to crush self-doubt, conquer challenges, become stronger than ever with therapist-approved strategies that can change your life. Listen to Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast, where I read random articles to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled The Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

Its surface and shores are 430.5 meters, 1,412 feet below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. It is 304 meters, 997 feet deep, the deepest hyper-sailing lake in the world. with a salinity of 342 grams per kilogram, or 34.2% in 2011. It is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, 9.6 times as salty as the ocean, and has a density of 1.24 kilograms per liter. which makes swimming similar to floating.

This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea's main northern basin is 50 kilometers, 31 miles long, and 15 kilometers, 9 miles wide, at its widest point. The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years.

It was one of the world's first health resorts for Herod the Great, and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. The Dead Sea is receding at a swift rate. Its surface area today is 605 kilometers squared, 234 square miles. Having been 150 kilometers squared, 410 square miles in 1930. The recession of the Dead Sea has begun causing problems and multiple canals and pipelines proposals exist to reduce its recession.

One of these proposals is the Red Sea Dead Sea Water Conveillance Project, carried out by Jordan, which will provide water to neighboring countries, while the brine will be carried to the Dead Sea to help stabilize its water level. The first phase of the project is scheduled to, begin in 2018 and be completed in 2021. In Hebrew, the Dead Sea is Yamhamela, meaning Sea of Salt. Genesis 14.3. The Bible uses this term alongside two others, the Sea of the Araba and the Eastern Sea. The designation Dead Sea never appears in the Bible.

In prose, sometimes the term Yamha Mavid, Sea of Death, is used due to the scarcity of aquatic life there. In Arabic, the Dead Sea is called Al-Bar Al-Mayyit, the Dead Sea, or less commonly bar lute. the Sea of Lot. Another historic name in Arabic was the Sea of Zohar, after a nearby town in biblical times. The Greeks called it Lake Asphaltides, the Asphaltite Sea. The Dead Sea is an Andorreic lake, located in the Jordan Rift Valley, a geographic feature formed by the Dead Sea Transform, DST. This left lateral-moving transform fault lies along the tectonic plate boundary between the African plate and the Arabian plate. It runs between the East Anatolian Fault zone in Turkey and the northern end of the Red Sea rift offshore of the southern tip of Sinai. It is here that the Upper Jordan River Sea of Galilee, Lower Jordan River water system comes to an end.

The Jordan River is the only major water source flowing into the Dead Sea, although there are small perennial springs under and around the Dead Sea, forming pools and quick sand pits along the edges. There are no outlet streams. The Mujib River, Biblical Arnon, is one of the larger water sources of the Dead Sea other than the Jordan. The Wadi Mujib Valley, 420 meters below the sea level in the southern part of the Jordan Valley, is a biosphere reserve with an area of 212 kilometers squared, 82 square miles. Other substantial sources are Wadi Darrejee Arabic, Nahal Dragot, Hebrew, and Nahl Arogat.

Wadi Hasa, biblical Zerid, is another wadi flowing into the Dead Sea. Rainfall is scarcely 100 millimeters, 4 inches per year in the northern part of the Dead Sea and barely 50 millimeters, two inches in the southern part. The Dead Sea zone's aridity is due to the rain shadow effect of the Judean Mountains. The highlands east of the Dead Sea receive more rainfall than the Dead Sea itself. To the west of the Dead Sea, the Judean Mountains rise less steeply and are much lower than the mountains to the east. Along the southwestern side of the lake is a 210-meter, 700-foot-tall-hout-tall-hite mineral formation called Mount Sodom.

There are two contending hypotheses about the origin of the low elevation of the Dead Sea. The older hypothesis is that the Dead Sea lies in a true, rift zone, an extension of the Red Sea Rift, or even of the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa. A more recent hypothesis is that the Dead Sea basin is a consequence of a stepover discontinuity along the Dead Sea transform, creating an extension of the crust with consequent subsidence. Around 3.7 million years ago, what is now the valley of the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and the northern Wadi Arabah, was repeatedly inundated by waters from the Mediterranean Sea. The waters formed in a narrow, crooked bay that is called by geologists the Sedim Lagoon,

which was connected to the sea through what is now the Jesreal Valley. the floods of the valley came and went depending on long-scale climate change. The Sedam Lagoon deposited beds of salt that eventually became 2.5 kilometers, 1.55 miles sick. Approximately 2 million years ago, the land between the Rift Valley and the Mediterranean Sea rose to such an extent that the ocean could no longer flood the area. Thus, the long lagoon became a landlocked lake. The Sedam Lagoon extended at its maximum from the Sea of Galilee, in the north to somewhere around 50 kilometers, 30 miles, south of the current southern end of the Dead Sea, and the subsequent lakes obviously never surpassed this expanse.

The Hula Depression was never part of any of these water bodies due to its higher elevation and the high threshold of the Khorazim block, separating it from the Sea of Galilee Basin. The first prehistoric lake to follow the Sedam Lagoon is named Lake Amora, followed by Lake Leeson, and finally by the Dead Sea. The water levels and salinity of these lakes have either risen or fallen as an effect of the tectonic dropping of the valley bottom and due to climate variation. As the climate became more arid, Lake Leeson finally shrank and became saltier,

leaving the Dead Sea as its last remainder. In prehistoric times, great amyred. amounts of sediment collected on the floor of Lake Amora. The sediment was heavier than the salt deposits and squeezed the salt deposits upwards into what are now the Leeson Peninsula and Mount Sodom on the southwest side of the lake. Geologists explained the effect in terms of a bucket of mud into which a large flat stone is placed, forcing the mud to creep up the sides of the bucket. When the floor of the Dead Sea dropped further

due to the tectonic forces, the salt mounts of Leeson and Mount Sodom stayed in place as high cliffs. Sea Salt Dome From 70,000 to 12,000 years ago, the lake's level was 100 meters, 330 feet to 250 meters, 820 feet. From 70,000 to 12,000 years ago, the lake's level was 100 meters, 330 feet, to 250 meters,

820 feet higher than its current level. This lake, Lake Leeson, fluctuated dramatically, rising to its highest level around 26,000 years ago, indicating a very wet climate in the near east. Around 10,000 years ago, the lake's level dropped dramatically, probably even lower than today. During the last several thousand years, the lake has fluctuated approximately 400 meters, 1,300 feet, with some significant drops and rises. Current theories as to the cause of this dramatic drop in levels rule out volcanic activity. Therefore, it may have been a seismic event. The Dead Sea's climate, BWH, offers year-round sunny skies and dry air. It has less than 50

millimeters, two inches, mean annual rainfall, and a summer average temperature between 32 and 39 degrees Celsius, 90 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter average temperatures range between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius, 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The region has weaker ultraviolet radiation, particularly the UVB, erysergenic rays. Given the higher atmosphere pressure, the air has a slightly higher oxygen, content, 3.3% in summer to 4.8% in winter, as compared to oxygen concentration at sea level. Barometric pressures at the Dead Sea were measured between 161 and 1,065 HPA and clinically compared with health effects at higher altitude.

This barometric measure is about 5% higher than sea level standard atmospheric pressure of 1,013.25 HPA, which is the global ocean mean or ATM. The dead sea affects temperatures nearby because of the moderating effect a large body of water has on climate. During the winter, sea temperatures tend to be higher, than land temperatures and vice versa during the summer months. This is the result of the water's mass and specific heat capacity. On average, there are 192 days above 30 degrees Celsius, 86 degrees Fahrenheit annually.

With 34.2% salinity in 2011, it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, though Lake Vanda in Antarctica, 35%, Lake Assal in Djibouti, 34.8%, Lagoon-Garobogical in the Caspian Sea, up to 35%, and some hypersailing ponds and lakes of the McMurdo dry valleys in Antarctica, such as Don Juan Pond, 44%, have reported higher salinities. until the winter of 1978-79 when a major mixing event took place

the Dead Sea was composed of two stratified layers of water that differed in temperature, density, age, and salinity. The top most 35 meters, 115 feet or so of the Dead Sea,

had an average salinity of 342 parts per thousand in 2002. and a temperature that swung between 19 degrees Celsius, 66 degrees Fahrenheit, and 37 degrees Celsius, 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Underneath a zone of transition, the lowest level of the Dead Sea had waters of a consistent 22 degrees Celsius, 72 degrees Fahrenheit temperature,

and complete saturation of sodium chloride in ACL. Since the water near the bottom is saturated, the salt precipitates out of solution onto the seafloor. Beginning in the 1960s, water inflow to the Dead Sea from the Jordan River was reduced as a result of large-scale irrigation and generally low rainfall. By 1975, the upper water layer was saltier than the lower layer. Nevertheless, the upper layer remained suspended above the lower layer because its waters were warmer and thus less dense. When the upper layer cooled so its density was greater than the lower layer, the water is mixed, 1978 to 79. For the first time in centuries, the lake was a homogeneous body of water.

Since then, stratification has begun. to redevelop. The mineral content of the Dead Sea is very different from that of ocean water. The exact composition of the Dead Sea water varies mainly with season, depths, and temperature. In the early 1980s, the concentration of ionic species in grams per kilogram of Dead Sea surface water was CL minus 181.4. BR minus 4.2. S.O42 minus 0.4. H.C.03 minus.

0.2. CA2 plus 14.1. N-A plus 32.5, K-plus 6.2, and M-G-2 plus 35.2. The total salinity was 276 grams per kilogram. These results show that the composition of the salt as anhydrous chlorides on a weight percentage basis. was calcium chloride CACL2, 14.4%. Potassium chloride, KCL, 4.4%. Magnesium chloride, MG, CL2, 50.8%,

and sodium chloride, NACL, 30.4%. In comparison, the salt in the water of most oceans and seas is approximately 85% sodium chloride. The concentration of sulfate ions, S.O4-2-1-1, is very low, and the concentration of bromide ions, BR-minus, is the highest of all waters on Earth. The salt concentration of the Dead Sea fluctuates around 31.5%. This is unusually high and results in a nominal density of 1.24 kilograms per liter. Anyone can easily float in the Dead Sea because of natural buoyancy. In this respect, the Dead Sea is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah in the United States. An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt. From deep seeps, the Dead Sea constantly spits up small pebbles and blocks of the black substance.

Asphalt-coated figurines and bitumen-coated neolithic skulls from archaeological sites have been found. Egyptian mummification processes used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea region. The Dead Sea area has become a location for health research and potential treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each may have specific health benefits. For example, persons experiencing reduced respiratory function from diseases such as cystic fibrosis seem to benefit from the increased atmospheric pressure. The region's climate and low elevation have made it a popular center for assessment of putative therapies,

climatotherapy, treatment which exploits local climate features such as temperature, humidity, sunshine, barometric pressure, and special atmospheric constituents. Heliotherapy. Treatment that exploits the biological effects of the sun's radiation. Thalassau therapy. Treatment that exploits bathing and dead sea water. Climatotherapy at the dead sea may be a therapy of psoriasis, but sunbathing for long periods in the area due to its position below sea level.

and subsequent result that UV rays are partially blocked by the increased cloud cover over the Dead Sea. Rhinocytus patients receiving Dead Sea saline nasal irrigation exhibited improved symptom relief compared to standard hypertonic saline spray in one study. Dead Sea mud pack therapy has been suggested to temporarily relieve pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. According to researchers of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, treatment with mineral-rich mud compresses can be used to augment conventional medical therapy. The sea is called dead because its high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present. In times of flood, the salt content of the Dead Sea can drop from its usual 35% to 30% or lower.

The Dead Sea temporarily comes to life in the wake of rainy winters. In 1980, after one such rainy winter, a normally dark blue Dead Sea turned red. researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem found the Dead Sea to be teeming with a type of alga called Dunaliyala Dunaliyala in turn nourished carotenoid containing red-pigmented halobacteria whose presence caused the color change since 1980 the Dead Sea basin has been dry and the algae and the bacteria have not returned in measurable numbers. In 2011, a group of scientists from Baer, Sheva, Israel, and Germany

discovered fissures in the floor of the Dead Sea by scuba diving and observing the surface. These fissures allow fresh and brackish water to enter the Dead Sea. They sampled biofilms surrounding the fissures and discovered numerous species of bacteria and archaea. Many animal species live in the mountains surrounding the Dead Sea. Eichers can see ibex, heiace, araxus, jackals, foxes, and even leopards. Hundreds of bird species inhabit the zone as well. Both Jordan and Israel have established nature reserves around the Dead Sea. The Delta of the Jordan River was formerly a jungle of papyrus and palm trees.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus described Jericho as the most fertile spot in Judea. In Roman and Byzantine times, sugarcane, henna, and sycamore fig all made the lower Jordan Valley wealthy. One of the most valuable products produced by Jericho was the sap of the balsam tree, which could be made into perfume. By the 19th century, Jericho's fertility had disappeared.