Landforms & Water
Jordan River & the Dead Sea: How the River Feeds a Salt Lake
The Jordan River threads south from the snows of Mount Hermon to the lowest land on Earth, the Dead Sea—about 251 kilometers (156 miles) of meanders through the…
Geography hub
Physical Geography
Explore Earth’s physical systems—from mountains and rivers to climate patterns and fragile ecosystems. This hub organizes our best guides to landforms and water, weather and climate, biodiversity, and today’s pressing environmental issues. Start here, then dive into focused subtopics or explore places by continent, country, and city.
Explainers & Big Questions
Antarctica
Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent—a vast, windswept wilderness about the size of the United States and Mexico combined. It holds most of the planet’s fresh water locked in…
Israel
Dead Sea Israel vs. Jordan: Which Side Is Better for You?
The Dead Sea’s shores stretch along Israel/West Bank to the west and Jordan to the east, meeting at Earth’s lowest dry-land elevation, roughly 1,300 feet (≈430 meters) below…
Landforms & Water
The Dead Sea Complete Overview
The Dead Sea is a small lake with a global reputation. Bordered by Jordan to the east, the West Bank to the west, and Israel to the southwest,…
Explainers & Big Questions
Why People Float in the Dead Sea (and How It Works)
The Dead Sea is famous for a simple, almost magical moment: you lean back and—without kicking—you bob to the surface like a cork. Sitting in the Jordan Rift…
Explainers & Big Questions
Which Mineral Is the Dead Sea Rich In? Composition & Benefits
The Dead Sea, straddling Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan, is famous for water so dense you float without trying. Beyond the fun photo, its chemistry is unique:…
Landforms & Water
Hydrothermal Vents
Far beneath the waves, seawater slips into cracks in new ocean crust, heats up near magma, and blasts back out as mineral-rich hot springs. These are hydrothermal vents.…
Explainers & Big Questions
What Is the Primary Reason the Dead Sea Is Known for Its High Salinity?
The Dead Sea sits in the Jordan Rift Valley at roughly 1,443 feet (440 meters) below sea level, making it Earth’s lowest exposed land. It has no natural…
Landforms & Water
Gulf vs. Bay vs. Fjord
Stand on a windy headland and scan the coastline: some inlets are open and sweeping, others curl inward like a clasped hand, and a few cut like narrow…
Landforms & Water
Where Is the Black Sea?
Where Is the Black Sea? It sits at the crossroads of Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. Specifically, it spans roughly 40.9°–46.5° N latitude and 27.5°–41.7° E longitude. In…