The discovery of strange funnels made of salt crystals at the very bottom of the Dead Sea may help to understand the hydrological dynamics that currently affect the region and that result in particularly significant catastrophes.
The Dead Sea represents a special environment. This vast lake, located between Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, really presents the situation. SaltsSalts As such, life is not possible there, so it is a very appropriate name. Yet hydrologically it is a highly dynamic system. For more than 50 years, we have seen a remarkable drop in its level, about one meter per year! The loss of tributaries combined with the region’s arid climatic conditions means that the Dead Sea is now 438 meters below sea level, which appears to be linked to the depletion of fresh groundwater resources. which is creating access problems to them. water in the region.
Strange Mineral Chimneys at the Bottom of the Dead Sea
This dynamic has been studied for many years by researchers trying to understand this evolution. It is in this context of study that scientists discovered surprising mineral formations while diving at the bottom of the Dead Sea.
Divers have made really strange identifications. ChimneysChimneys Rising one to two meters above the bottom of the sediment. The architecture immediately brings to mind hydrothermal vents discovered in oceanic ridges, but detailed observations revealed a completely different function. It actually is. ConstructionsConstructions Halite is made up of crystals (rock salt), formed by exudation of hypersaline fluid.
Circulation of fresh water in salt-laden sediments
In an article published in Total Environmental Sciencethe researchers explain, this phenomenon would be linked to the circulation of groundwater through the lake’s ancient sediments, which are mainly composed of halite. Loaded with salt, this water then turns into brackish water, which seeps out of the sediments into the bottom of the Dead Sea. The density of this brine, however, is less than that of the water below, forcing the fluid out more. vitessevitesse. Furthermore, contact with the lake water immediately causes the salt dissolved in the brine to precipitate, which gradually leads to the formation of these astonishing chimneys.
This circulation of freshwater through the ancient saline sediments that underlie the region may also explain the origin of the numerous sinkholes that surround the Dead Sea.
In many places, the ground is actually collapsing, causing considerable damage. For the researchers, their cause would therefore be found in the dissolution of salts by groundwater circulation.
