Saving the Dead Sea FULL SPECIAL | NOVA | PBS America

Since 1976, the Dead Sea’s level has dropped more than 100 feet, leaving its coastline pockmarked with thousands of sinkholes. NOVA follows the unprecedented endeavor to connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea by way of a massive desalination plant - perhaps the world’s largest water chemistry experiment - as scientists race to save the Dead Sea and bring water to one of the driest regions on Earth.
Release Date: 04/24/2019
About PBS America:
Welcome to PBS America, a British TV channel from America’s public service broadcaster, PBS, showcasing award-winning American history, science, current affairs, plus arts and culture shows alongside the works of living legend Ken Burns, output is all hand-picked by a British team.
Get More PBS America:
Website: www.pbsamerica.co.uk/
Twitter: / pbsamerica
Facebook: / pbsamerica
Instagram: / pbsintheuk

[@larrywalsh9939]

Ok, so we messed with the river that feeds the sea, so there's less water coming in, and we started mining the south and thus started increasing how much water the sea loses, oh my god, the sea is shrinking, how could this happen, who could have possibly predicted that the sea would shrink if we did things that make it lose water, oh, who could have seen this coming. Humanity is so tragically, shockingly stupid.

[@feiryfella]

How predictably stupid!

[@scottyfox6376]

Yes but we've been doing this for thousands of years so tbh we are thoroughly experts by now of fvcking up royally.

[@Kari.F.]

The root of human stupidity is usually either greed or lust for power in some form - or both. "We can get what we want now, and who cares about the future? We'll be long dead when the (often predictable) problems stemming from our actions arise."

[@markalton2809]

Humans have form on this. The Aral sea, for example.

[@larrywalsh9939]

@@markalton2809 ???

[@mariaandreamolinacarryer8359]

Amazing Work 👏👏👏 Thank You PBS 💙

[@jwillisbarrie]

Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf - PBS was one of the first!

[@ophthojooeileyecirclehisha4917]

thank you so much

[@joelledurben3799]

Thank you for putting the release date in the description :)

[@feiryfella]

Gosh yes!

[@RUHappyATM]

I do agree. Too many YTs release videos without advising the viewers when it was first published. Almost telling a lie.

[@gilberttello08]

An eye opener! Tnx

[@normlor]

I LOVE PBS (MOUNTAIN LAKE) IN VERMONT!!

[@Bekindloveis]

Excellent & well Researched documentary 👍🏻 kudos to your team 🙂

[@user-ml2jl5nu2d]

Thank you ❤❤

[@biancaswart2405]

I sincerely hope this joint project can somehow bridge differences and raise awareness for the importance and respect of life in this region.

[@medidawedney6514]

This is nice documentary belongs only thousands of years than the other document ary bilions of years I can't believe

[@Feathermason]

spent a few days last May at Dead Sea Hilton(Jordan)...beyond phenomenal..incredible staff,outstanding rooms,eats..sublime hospitality...bathing in its mud and then the sea was spiritually healing and physically rewarding...cant wait to return!

[@beeswaxlover]

Please, the words spiritual and Hilton do not belong together...is this an ad? You have missed the point entirely.

[@arworx]

​@@beeswaxloveryou are right and he or she shouldn't mention the hotel name. but in the dead sea area its difficult to enjoy the beach and mud without going to hotels, which lead more hotels to open and spread like cancer. its been years I didn't visit that area although its not far away.

[@startrekstarfleetlcars44779]

extremely nice.

[@gerryboudreaultboudreault2608]

"He's so old that he remembers when the Dead Sea was only sick"

[@paulcampbell840]

As I understand it, the terrain makes a canal part of the way from the Red Sea to Dead Sea a possibility, but a pipeline would have to be used from the Mediterranean to Dead Sea. However, the drop to the Dead Sea could provide the pipe pressure for desalination to take place, making desalination very efficient, though fresh water would need to be pumped. Some of the ponds in the southern dead sea (about half of which are Jordanian?) could be diverted to producing sea salt using the brine. A major project still on the drawing board after decades of planning.

[@midbc1midbc199]

We should be flooding unpopulated areas to store water and force it back into the water table and use it before it is lost to the oceans

[@nolanconnelly6821]

For the whole creation travaileth, and groaneth for the perfect breathe; even the day, that is hallowed! Selah.

[@jeremytaylor3532]

Instead of putting the brine directly into the dead sea it could go into a settling pond where it would be mixed 50/50 with dead sea water to precipitate gypsum , then the mixed brine could be injected into the ground about a kilometer away from the dead sea shore, allowing the brine to absorb natural minerals required by the dead sea. This could also be done with the brine from the Mediterranean desalination plants. Thus giving plenty of brine to the dead sea. Then the number of desalination plants on the Mediterranean could be increased reducing demand for Jordan water. A dam could restrict the flow out of the sea of Galilee allowing it to recover. New nanotechnology filters can reduce the energy required for desalination by half allowing twice the water for the same cost. The solutions are there if Israel has the will.

[@hanikaram3351]

the problem is also population increase the if they are wise they should think of population birth control , the only spot in the middle-east were there is fresh water constantly is Lebanon however they themselves are going to lose it if they do not something of recovery very fast because thir water is from the mountains from rain in the winter and from the thousand years old ice that is quickly melting due to deforestation on massive scales i remember in the very early seventies when i used to walk with my father there used to be plants in the mountains and snow covering the high peaks all summer that by the very early 80's lots of plants are totally gone and hardly any snow like before

[@normlor]

WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE SET OUR GOALS ON AND SAVING THIS IS PARAMOUNT AND SHOULD BE A WORLDWIDE EFFORT!!! IT COULD BE CONSIDERED ANOTHER "WONDER"!!!

[@larrywalsh9939]

Why?

[@annychest718]

they mess up and then expect others to bail them out

[@octaviodasilva9780]

I wonder! Instead of Pumping Water from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea which is more than 110 Km why not pumping from the Mediterranean Sea which should be about 95 km if you run the Pipework along the Roads. You will need High-Pressure Piping, sets of Centrifugal Pumps, and gate valves to prime the Piping system and have a perpetual suction flow! That you may generate a considerable amount of electricity. To pay for the Project and more.

[@patriciacropley4204]

Pray 🙏

[@larrywalsh9939]

No.

[@americanakita]

People really need to stop thinking there is something like a god that they can blame for everything. And that will fix everything. The truth is that our destiny lies entirely in our own hands and that we have to fix things that are not right or broken ourselves. Too often, the ones that die in a disaster are those who were expecting "god" would save them.

[@larrywalsh9939]

@@americanakita well said!

[@paulkelly2085]

Why not pump in water from the Mediterranean Sea, minus fish of course a distance of only about 55 miles.

[@loveisallyouneed5877]

Yesterday was an 3.6 magnitude Earthquake in Northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee - just wate and see when this Big Earthquake will split the Mount of Olives til the Mediterrainen Sea - and i believe that Huge Water reservoirs under the Judean desert will also emerge through this Earthquake - with all this water, the dead Sea will come to Life again 🙏👑🌹💖🌷👑🙏

[@brucepollard1338]

Have they considered using water from the Mediterranean Sea.

[@user-do2xr6ms6d]

Plant more trees 🌳

[@danskkr]

I stood on Masada back in 96 and you could see clearly even back then how much the dead sea had receded. From this documentary its shocking (but not surprising) how much further it has shrunk. Back then, there was talking about running a pipe from the Mediterranean. I wonder what happened to that plan.

[@SamuelMhango-dv1br]

If the waters of the Red Sea were to mix with those of the Dead Sea, the result would be an interesting chemical and ecological reaction due to their differing compositions. Salinity Differences: The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth, with a salinity of around 34.2%, whereas the Red Sea's salinity is much lower, typically around 40 parts per thousand (ppt). So, when these waters mix, there would likely be some dilution of the Dead Sea's high salinity by the lower salinity of the Red Sea. Chemical Reactions: The mixing of waters with different compositions could lead to chemical reactions. For example, the Dead Sea contains a high concentration of minerals, particularly salts like magnesium, potassium, and calcium chlorides. The Red Sea has a different mineral composition. When these mix, there could be precipitation of certain minerals due to changes in solubility caused by the altered conditions. Ecological Impact: The Dead Sea is famously inhospitable to most forms of life due to its extreme salinity. The Red Sea, however, supports a diverse array of marine life. Mixing these waters could affect the ecology of the Dead Sea, potentially introducing organisms from the Red Sea and altering the balance of its ecosystem. Buoyancy: The Dead Sea is known for its high buoyancy due to its high salt content. Mixing with the Red Sea, which has lower salinity, might reduce this buoyancy somewhat, although it's unlikely to eliminate it entirely. Overall, while it's an interesting thought experiment, the logistics and potential consequences of mixing these two bodies of water on a large scale are complex and would likely require careful consideration.

[@percycruda3074]

I think not only Israeli did desalination but Saudi Arabia also made desalination for a decades now or maybe a century, i think during rainy season especially there's typhoon came we/you conserved/collect the water for a year round or even a decade

[@PaulineScott-hz1gx]

Abandoned in June 21

[@openbabel]

Clearly it would be sensible to undertake natural salination for any piped water powered by wind. However it would be less than obvious to add sulphites and gysum as any solution? The correct approach surely is just to mine gypsum and sulphites from the water and sell it?

[@othmanabusaif6500]

Bıg thanks and apprecıatıon for those who believe ın scıence and technology usıng ıt for the benefıt of humanıty

[@carltonlee5445]

Why not a pipe from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea? 8ft across. 65 miles long. At sea level to start down to 1300 feet below sea level. If you build in energy recovery, you can generate 1/2 the energy that the Hoover Dam currently supplies in the U.S. Power to about 1/3 of the homes in Israel.

[@polska905]

Because there's better things to spend money on then filling a salty dead lake only for the water to evaporate away.

[@utopiaHammerstone]

The dead sea power plant receiving water from the Mediterranean...could power itself, the pipeline and pay for itself with power sold❤❤❤ love the idea!

[@thehouseholder5468]

The Dead Sea the Aral Sea the rivers in Vietnam… all victims of water diversion and all blamed on cLIEmate charge.

[@RobertojavierSilvaharth-ub3pz]

By their own admission, the advent of western culture meassuring everything in billions of dolars is bringing changes that will end the beauty of this land. For as long as human memory goes back, this place was basically unchanged, in the last 75 years western culture in its vast exploitation of resources has wrought havoc to a balance that existed for at least thousands of years, and yet we think our science can change it for the better. The Nile is more than just a river! The message is clear for those who want to see it: What we are doing is unsustainable, and all the fighting between people for this land will become moot, for it will no longer be inhabitable.

[@SueFerreira75]

Population increase is more relevant than resource exploitation. Both are unsustainable.

[@GenealogistBuchanan]

What about the option of bringing in Mediterranean sea water instead?

[@Baddy187]

Because the Med is lower and water would stream into the Med, not the other way around.? Don't know for sure, just speculating.

[@eggbert191]

​@@Baddy187water lines are pressurized

[@oshri02]

​@@Baddy187 It isn't, the Dead sea is -430m below the sea level

[@Fuaat-oz6cy]

Bring water from meditranien sea using tunnel

[@nokrangwalling6940]

Saving after dead? Just pray for remaining sea and oceans

[@jackmchammocklashing224]

Visited the Dead Sea experience in Israel, we were given a wrist band, and changing rooms male and female Then given a DEADSEA MUD PACK EACH, got into the sea but only my backend floated head nearly drowned, Then after there is a fresh water shower to get what is left of any mud off, all good, Got changed and went to our coach, My wife realised her watch was missing A lady from the female changing rooms came to the coach and presented my wifes WATCH THANK YOU

[@fglatzel]

When the combination of Dead Sea and Red Sea water forms gypsum crystals, they could harvest and export it as building material. This could be a win-win situation.

[@franciscooper.retired]

Have you considered putting it on life support?

[@elviedeplian6140]

Dead sea needs miracle to revive for it's dead The value is a must for as humus to need of a wilting tree..

[@justpaulette]

I wonder if the co-operation will continue.

[@martinjohnsson1525]

Something they left out of the video is that the dead sea have been connected to the mediterranean sea once upon a time. So I don't get why they release mediterranean brine back to the mediterranean sea and seem so focused on bringing red sea brine into it, which it never have been connected to. Why not see if a combination of both brines might reduces the chemical changing risks to the sea? Or make the gypsum reaction happen in a pool in the desalination plant and remove it in one of the filters there? Or use red sea brine for the southern mining part of the lake, so less water has to pumped out of the northern part to the shallow ponds for evaporation? Israel also might be able to increase desalination if they transport the brine from new dsplants to the dead sea which might have a better chemical conposition to it for the dead sea. Maybe also combined with water power plant, since the dead sea is lower than the medditerranean sea? New dsplants might also reduce the outtake from the sea of galilee so they spare it from drying out aswell. They have a lot more options with potential synergies to look into and analyze.

[@fusherr]

Could they just fill the Dead Sea directly from the Mediterranean Sea?

[@gingertom56]

There was an idea of syphon water into the dead and produce electricity at the same time at the time was engineered at evaporation rate.

[@user-hu2yu3ez1e]

Save this, save that, save the earth's, save the sea. We are not able to save a little homeless and we have the pretentious project this impossible dream. We are done folk's. The earth doesn't need to be save . We are 😢

[@danielcliffgonmei9050]

Someone should save the homeless and some has to save the sea...

[@LorettaLaz]

Now I understand much better why Isreal controls the water to the surrounding areas. Thank you.

[@ppetal1]

Not a mention of swimming pools.

[@annychest718]

greedy

[@janetvalenzuela1253]

In my perspective based along with your explanations why the dead sea became shortage of water it is because you said they mine the dead sea for potassium and calcium phosphate

[@hanikaram3351]

why not through lab research mix waters of mediterranean the dead sea and red sea

[@AuzFrog]

Adding brine to the dead sea will lower its salt content!. YES! But then again. The water level of the red sea is lower becuse of 2 things! lack of fresh water from the Jordan river input. And evaporation! Both are Fresh water! so that means that the historical salt content must have been lower than now ! so what is the problem!? In Fact in the end salt content will rise to higher level than before historical levels.. just logic!🤔

[@Hub262]

Amapola

[@elliotlambert3817]

iT SOUNDS AN IMPOSIBLE TASK

[@martiansoon9092]

Ground penetrating radar should be able to see these salt formations and the cavities they produce.

[@sarawakboy100]

Island Nations like Philippines is worrying climate change due to rising sea level .. same earth .. other country .. is worrying about receding sea level.. im confuse 😢

[@laur2139]

I like the geologist near the ending. He’s not a climate alarmist. ….why not put Mediterranean Sea water in the Dead Sea?

[@gonskie]

I' ve been swimming there. If it can't be saved, then fill it with dessert soil and plant dates and oranges

[@greenhills2890]

SAVING A DEAD SEA.. ain't that a thing.... 😂 😂

[@gregorybyrne2453]

God is shortening the days.

[@RodBartlett-ed1wk]

Maybe someone's brain is short a few cells

[@lisamona888]

Man made desaster

[@lisamona888]

Nature doesn't need us, but we need nature

[@normlor]

WHY CAN'T THEY EXPERIMENT WITH A FEW HUNDRED LITERS OF THESE TWO DIFFERENT WATERS TO SEE IF THEY ARE COMPATIBLE??!!

[@touchofgrey5372]

Listen again @49:17 to @49:22. We're not talking about a few months or years of observation; but many hundreds, thousands or even longer period of time!

[@kcsharma6174]

It's not dead but water is there but from where.

[@vthilton]

Save Our Planet

[@TheBasedCanadian]

No

[@felixbago500]

Red Sea + Dead Sea = Red Dead Redemption Sea

[@johnj4860]

If it's so far below sea level it strongly suggests a canal or pipeline from the Mediterranean could be a solution to the problem. Ok it's salty but less so than the dead sea. However that probably requires the warring tribes to stop squabbling. Jordan are probably able to behave but until the Palestinians boot out Hamas that's a stumbling block. If humanity is reliant on the water it's colour is immaterial

[@KeithFrancis-nf8dw]

If its already dead then why save it ? 😂

[@percycruda3074]

I think to suggest that those red sea brine should not supply directly to dead sea but to the dry land dead sea and experiment it how it works to prove it's miracle, because ot its over consumption the dead sea dries because there's no natural resupply of water from rains, typhoons all year round but the consumption of desalination is very high in percentage every year due to population which is high multiplier so more or high in consumption every year

[@CyberspacedLoner]

Feed the Dead Sea with new water by building a canal connecting it to the Sea

[@annychest718]

You can't redirect water

[@kyankirkarguelles2190]

😭Its easy for humans to exploit nature, but when nature strikes back, its almost irreversible. 😢

[@paulzeman3945]

Well, with global warming and rising sea levels why not pump water from the other oceans

[@Watcher1852]

man hands at great work again HOW SAD

[@adriank9037]

its actually a lake...

[@danmm4_tv916]

is it not possible to refill the dead sea with mediterrean sea water? its 1400 feet below sea level. or maybe too distant and mountainous and too expensive or against the law of nature...

[@gauriblomeyer1835]

Water from rain is related to trees. This truth will bring everywhere if well used new life. So where is the start to grow trees in order to initiate rain and water ? The brim material should be used by chemical industry.

[@gmicg]

Connect the Dead Sea to the Red Sea via a canal that would replenish it.

[@imagseer]

It would be the wrong kind of water and would destroy the ecosystem. There was a plan to let water in from the Mediterranean and make megawatts of electricity from the height differential. The problem will solve itself when the next Ice Age returns. Look up the work of Professor Steve Goldstein, a geochemist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, US. They drilled cores to look at what happened in the last Ice age when the Dead Sea was 260 metres higher than it was in 2011.

[@annychest718]

You can not redirect water

[@RodBartlett-ed1wk]

Why not ​@@annychest718

[@hornantuutti5157]

Salt levels would rise and another ecosystem destroyed.

[@RUHappyATM]

@@hornantuutti5157 There are always trade-offs in life.

[@DK-wy3tb]

6:49

[@brianw612]

This projects abandonment was announced in 2021 by the Jordanian Government, citing lack of Israeli interest. While also producing power, this project would have required massive amounts of additional power generation. Many negative ecological consequences created by the fruition of this project were discovered throughout research of the project.

[@garyevans2761]

And when we've used that up then what

[@hanikaram3351]

the dead sea has to disappear dig a channel from mediterranean to Dead sea from dead sea to Red sea however most likely something very horrific might happen however it is a risk to consider since the shores of the mediterranean sea is alwyas with earthquake

[@wayneyd2]

The dead sea is dead. Leave it alone. Let it die.

[@widyarpradana4335]

Palestinian Authority ??

[@utopiaHammerstone]

Why not pipe from the Mediterranean sea @74 km away vs from the red sea @104 km away? The Mediterranean is resupplied by the rising sea levels of the world's oceans. The Red Sea is already in decline. Yes, there's more challenging terrain, but the infrastructure is expensive either way

[@straight-narrow-path]

How can it be the lowest place on a ball and come to think of it what is sea level on a ball ? I'm baffled by this!

[@RodBartlett-ed1wk]

Gravity dim wit! Look it up.

[@cheblack677]

It's time for action.

[@annychest718]

I would say the oposite

[@gurugemblunk]

Why bother saving... it's already dead

[@markdicker686]

I started watching this and got to the bit at 53ish when Israeli guy was talking about supplying limited water to Palestine. We have just seen what limited water means... water supply cut off fir weeks

[@gullybull5568]

They want to GENOCIDE Palestine. BOYCOTT ISREAL. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ppetal1]

And it all comes from Turkey. That's why it could talk even louder than the Turkish Premier.

[@martinrasmussen7754]

Whatever you are mad of...if you worked together, anything is possible, Basta

[@BillyP13]

What contribution have the Palestinians provided ?

[@ppetal1]

@BillyP13 they didn't steal the water, for a start.

[@irfansuleman1513]

It’s written in Qurraaan that near the end of times this sea will dry out 1400 years a go

[@user-de5mj2ce7l]

How many lovers had Cleopatria? Some says Julius Ceaser and in the video 2:32 you said Mark Anthony, lies.

[@larrywalsh9939]

It's not worth saving. It's not as if the Dead Sea is some sort of vibrant, thriving ecosystem, it's essentially just a large pool of toxic water. And to spend millions trying to save it, by putting other bodies of water at risk too, that's just absurd. Yes, the place has a water shortage, but there's a good reason for that - there's many, many, many people living in an area that cannot support so many people. That works out to be a self rectifying problem.

[@RobertojavierSilvaharth-ub3pz]

Precise and well said. We should be mirroring what the local populations do, instead of getting them to live like US.

[@rogeco60]

It's not toxic, it's full of healing minerals.

[@larrywalsh9939]

@@rogeco60 If it's not toxic, go ahead and drink some. I think the lack of an y fish or any significant biota at all does qualify it as toxic.

[@rogeco60]

Millions visit and bath in it's historically therapeutic water annually.

[@larrywalsh9939]

@@rogeco60 …and that means it’s not toxic? I’m not saying people can’t swim in it, I’m saying it’s too toxic to support an ecosystem. Note the entire absence of an ecosystem in the Dead Sea. That’s because it’s toxic. Please don’t respond yet again about tourists, we’ve already covered that, that doesn’t make it any less toxic. If this confuses you then I don’t think you know what toxicity actually is.

[@nesumhlanga8657]

My plug can't keep up with PBS😅 they dropping GEM. side note. Am amazed in humans finding ways to get more water to save the sea but humans there have been desperate need of water before. 😂 our priorities are crazy.

[@gullybull5568]

7:03 EPSTEIN SPOTTED 😂 !!!

[@user-lr6gc7in5c]

[@TheBasedCanadian]

Looks nothing like him

[@jiff80]

And dead bodies

[@avarig]

Why don’t we start from saving $TSLA

[@janetvalenzuela1253]

The scripture prophecy that the dead sea becomes fresh water in the latter days Ezekiel 47:1-the end of this chapter

[@alexhayden2303]

I know how I would fix it.

[@user-wy6mo1vr8t]

mu bucket list? Mt Everest then to dead sea..haha high and low

[@takeruyamato6703]

I still have yet to see the reason for "saving" the Red Sea. To me, it only looks like they are dumping the waste from desanilization plant in stead of dumping it into the ocean.

[@feiryfella]

Its a unique habitat, that's why.

[@matsswede]

Hallo .. ? Whats the problem ?? A pipeline from the dead see to the point where it falls free down to the Dead sea . Wouldnt cost that much !! ?

[@user-mz1su7nu5n]

America leave Nature alone!!!!!!

[@williedekock507]

Don't worry. Droughts work in cycles and the rain will come in big floods.

[@user-zc1il4ec4m]

Would call for saving rivers not dead useless lakes

[@paulkarp958]

Perfect example of man thinking he is above earth.. i welcome the arrival of the Elohim, your yahweh is so rewritten 😂