Subject: IOUD Re: The level of the Dead Sea in Antiquity
From: David Mealand (D.Mealand@ed.ac.uk)
Date: Mon Jul 07 2008 - 06:47:20 EDT
My memory from long ago is that the remains
excavated at Ain Feshka are much lower than
those at Qumran and close to the level of
the Dead Sea (as at 1981). A contour map would
confirm. If F was in use in Roman (early Imperial)
times then it was above Dead Sea level.
My map shows Qumran ruins at -350, nearby road
25 metres lower at -375. Shore line lower again.
Road rises to -350 by marshy bits (to S) but Feshka
is below the road. Lowest shown contour is -375,
with a single point on land at -389. (All these
points within 3km of Qumran ruins.) All suggests
Qumran c.50 metres above sea.
For a recent appraisal of the water levels
in the Feshka area
see the item pasted below.
David Mealand (Edinburgh)
--------------------
Hydrogeological investigation for sustainable
utilization of fresh water in the Mar Saba - Feshka
area (University of Karlsruhe) and 3D hydrogeological
model of the area (University of Tel Aviv)
Project Co-ordination and Contact Persons
* Prof. Dr. Heinz Hötzl
Phone: ++49 - 721 - 608 3096
E-mail: heinz.hoetzl@agk.uni-karlsruhe.de
* Dr. Wasim Ali
Phone: ++49 - 721 - 608 2758
E-mail: wasim.ali@agk.uni-karlsruhe.de
Duration of the Project
2000-2007
Abstract
The Mar Saba - Feshka area is an arid region
close to the Dead Sea, with an acute lack of fresh
water. Ground water in the area flows from the Judean
and Samarian mountains towards the Dead Sea in the
east. There it gets mixed with saline water which
come up as brines from great depths, and discharges
as brackish water into the Dead Sea. A definite proof
for this circulation circumstances are the saline
waters from the Feshka springs, which are the main
discharge from the cenomanian aquifer in this area.
Intention of the project was to clarify the
hydrodynamic connection of the two original water
sources, and to develop a concept for utilizing the
fresh water before it mixes with the brines, without
changing the hydraulic balance in favor of the
brines. Based on hydrogeological, hydrochemical and
isotope-hydrological data, a three-dimensional
geo-hydrological model and a ground water flow-model
were created and calibrated. Various scenarios for
exploitation of the fresh water in this area were
proposed and calculated, and the reaction of the
aquifer interpreted using the model. The calculated
time period spans 20 years from 2005 to 2024.
The obtained results are promising and show
possibilities of tapping additional large qantities
of fresh water within the next 20 years. This is of
great importance for the development of the region.
To complete the work there, it is suggested to create
a transport model which comprises the different
density currents as well as the existence of different
saline water bodies.
Keywords
Hydrogeology, Jordan Valley, ground water model
Funding
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Cooperation
* Mekorot, Tel Aviv
* Tel Aviv University, Department of Geophysics
Publications
*
FLEXER, A., HÖTZL, H., ALI, W., BENSABAT, J. & YELLEN-DROR,
A.(2002): 3D Hydrogeological model of the Mar Saba - Feshka Region,
Final Report, Project WT0004u. 02WT0063, 24p., 45 Figs. and maps;
Karlsruhe, Tel Aviv.
*
HÖTZL, H., ALI, W. & ROTHER, M. (2001): Hydrogeological
Investigations in the North-Eastern Dead Sea Area, Jordan, The Thermal
Springs along Wadi Zerqa Ma'in & Ain ez Zara.- International
Conference on Future Groundwater Resources at Risk; Lissabon, Portugal.
*
HÖTZL, H., ALI, W. & ROTHER, M. (2001): Ain Feshka Springs as a
potential reservoir for fresh water extraction, Dead Sea Area.- Le
premier colloque national d'hydrogeologie et environment, p.62
(abstract); Fes, Morocco.
--------------
---------
David Mealand
--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
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