Changes in the thermo-haline structure of the Dead Sea: 1979–1984

Anati, David A.; Stiller, M.; Shasha, S.; Gat, J.R.

doi:10.1016/0012-821x(87)90181-6

Cited by 57 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The relationship between the density and the salinity of the DS has been studied extensively in the past, and several equations relating the two variables were proposed. For example, see Steinhorn (1981), Mero and Simon (1985), Huss et al (1986), Anati et al (1987) and Gavrieli et al (1989). Asmar and Ergenzinger (1999) discussed in detail the usage of these correlations and recommended using the correlation proposed by Mero and Simon (1985).…”

Section: Chemical Mass Balance: Top Layermentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The most visible impact was the separation and then the gradual drying up of the southern basin of the DS [see Weiner (1983) for the satellite pictures before and after the separation]. Other impacts include the end of the long-term stratification of the DS after a full water column overturn in 1979 (Steinhorn et al, 1979;Steinhorn and Assaf, 1980;Steinhorn, 1981Steinhorn, , 1985Steinhorn and Gat, 1983;Anati et al, 1987;Anati and Shasha, 1989), the decline in groundwater levels (Yechieli et al, 1995), the sink-hole phenomena (Naked Planet, 2000), increased salinity and seasonal precipitation of halite, gypsum and aragonite (Sass and Ben-Yaakov, 1977;Beyth, 1980;Katz et al, 1981, Krumgalz andMillero, 1983;Steinhorn and Gat, 1983;Gavrieli et al, 1989;Anati, 1993;Gavrieli, 1997). The latter is affected significantly by the potash industries, which return residues with very high salinity (up to 480 g l 1 ) into the DS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Long‐term prediction of the water level and salinity in the Dead Sea

Asmar

Ergenzinger

2002

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:The long-term water level variations of the Dead Sea (DS) were assessed using a previously developed simulation model. The model establishes the condition of the DS by evaluating a series of ordinary differential equations describing mass balances on the water and major chemical species. The DS was modelled as a two-layer system. The model was modified using up-to-date inflow data and recent hypsometric graphs to derive the volume-area-level relationships. Three scenarios were studied: continuation of current conditions; a cessation in industrial activity when the DS water level drops to a certain level; and a simplified weather change scenario. The model predicted that the DS will not dry up, but its level will continue to drop with a decelerating rate with no equilibrium level in 500 years. Changing climate would accelerate the level drop. In the 500 year period, after an initial increase, the DS salinity drops. The opposite behaviour is noted in the evaporation rate, which increases after an initial decrease. Ceasing industrial pumping would eventually restore the DS to its normal level, but with changed conditions.

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Section: Chemical Mass Balance: Top Layermentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Long‐term prediction of the water level and salinity in the Dead Sea

Asmar

Ergenzinger

2002

Hydrological Processes

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“…This is not surprising since at the time, the deep layer was sealed from atmospheric influences. By comparison, during the previous meromictic period of 1980-1984(Anati et al, 1987, the deep water temperature remained within a range of 23.15 F 0.03 jC.…”

Section: The Deep Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from these two special events, the Dead Sea surface level has been dropping at a faster rate, namely 80 cm/year, with variability of less than 2%. The large level rise of 1992, almost 2 m, brought about a meromictic period which persisted for 4 years, the same duration as the previous meromictic period which lasted from 1980 to 1983 (Anati et al, 1987). The transition between the holomictic and the meromictic regimes can be monitored via the analysis of the vertical stability of the water layers.…”

Section: Basic Hydrological Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Dead Sea hydrography from 1992 to 2000

Gertman

Hecht

2002

Journal of Marine Systems

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The modern hydrological regime of the Dead Sea is strongly affected by anthropogenic activity. The natural fresh water budget has changed mainly due to the drastic reduction of runoff. Since 1977, the surface level of the Dead Sea has been lowered by an average rate of about 60 cm/year and for the period from 1998 to 2000, the lowering rate has reached about 100 cm/year. As a result of the runoff reduction, the upper layer salinity of the Dead Sea has increased and the gravitational stability of the water body was diminished. Eventually, during the winter of 1978 -1979, the lake waters overturned, bringing to an end the long-term stable meromictic 1 hydrological regime. The lake entered a new phase in which its hydrological regime switches between holomictic and meromictic regimes, depending on the size of the runoff into the lake (i.e. the amount of precipitation in the lake's watershed). The first holomictic period, 1979 -1980, lasted for 2 months only. It was succeeded by a 4-year meromictic period (1980 -1983). The second holomictic period lasted for 9 years (1983 -1991). The rainy winter of 1991 -1992 resulted in an almost 2-m sea level rise. The upper layer with a relatively low salinity was restored and a new meromictic period persisted for 4 years, until winter 1995 -1996. During the last meromictic period, the hydrological regime of the Dead Sea was characterized by following long-term trends: the depth of the summer thermocline increased from 12 -15 to 25 -30 m; the quasi-salinity of the upper layer, initially of about 164 kg/m 3 , increased rapidly at a rate of about 16 -18 kg/m 3 /year; the quasi-salinity of the deep water, initially of about 235 kg/m 3 , decreased slowly at a rate of about 0.08 -0.10 kg/m 3 /year (for the sake of comparison, a quasi salinity of 235 kg/m 3 is the equivalent of 280x ''usual'' salinity); and the winter minimal temperature of the upper layer, initially of about 16 jC, increased rapidly at a rate of about 2 jC/year. In November 1995, the latest meromictic period of the Dead Sea came to an end. During the present holomictic period, 1996 -2000, the hydrological regime of the Dead Sea is also characterized by long-term trends: the quasi-salinity of the entire Dead Sea increased at a rate of about 0.5 kg/m 3 /year, with practically no decrease during the winters; the temperature of the deep water mass increased with a rate of about 0.25 jC/year; and the period of vertical convection of the entire water column, initially about 3 months, increased at a rate of about 1 week/year. Moreover, we observed that the temperature and salinity of the bottom layer in the deepest part of the Dead Sea raised by about 0.5 -0.6 jC and 0.15 -0.25 kg/m 3 during each holomictic summer. D

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“…His formula was used by Huss et al (1986), but was considered invalid by Anati et al (1987) as it depends on several constants measured in the late 1970s and so cannot be used now. Mero and Simon (1985) From Daubert (1985), the latent heat of vaporization is expressed as a function of air temperature, where T b is the water normal boiling point, and equals 100 8C, l b is the latent heat of evaporation at normal boiling point, and equals 40 670 kJ/kmol…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Estimation of evaporation from the Dead Sea

Asmar

Ergenzinger

1999

Hydrol. Process.

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Abstract:A project to link the Dead Sea to the Red Sea via a canal is undergoing extensive study. As part of this study, a method to estimate evaporation from the Dead Sea is required as it is a hypersaline lake in which standard methods cannot be applied. Two methods based on Penman and Dalton formulae were examined. The method derived here is a modi®ed Penman model that estimates the evaporation as a function of salinity, humidity, air temperature and wind speed. Other parameters such as water temperature are included implicitly in the model. The results obtained were veri®ed as satisfactory agreement was achieved by comparison with previous measurements. A short-cut relationship to estimate evaporation as a function of salinity only was also derived.

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Changes in the thermo-haline structure of the Dead Sea: 1979–1984

Cited by 57 publications

References 10 publications

Long‐term prediction of the water level and salinity in the Dead Sea

Long‐term prediction of the water level and salinity in the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea hydrography from 1992 to 2000

Estimation of evaporation from the Dead Sea

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