What is the most saltiest body of water on earth?

Answer 1

The saltiest bodies of water on Earth is in fact contained in some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond and perhaps Lake Vanda). I will also discuss other notable hypersaline lakes outside Antarctica. It is very important to note that the Dead Sea is often incorrectly considered the world's most saline lake.

Don Juan Pond

The salinity in Don Juan Pond is over 18 times the ocean's salinity: the salinity is high enough that it doesn't freeze even in winter. It has an estimated salinity of over 63%. Therefore, unlike other lakes and ponds in the dry valleys, it has no ice cover. It has been described as a groundwater discharge zone. The dominant ions in solution are calcium and chloride. The area around Don Juan Pond is covered with sodium chloride and calcium chloride salts that have been precipitated as the water evaporated. Unfortunately, in recent years the size of the pond has shrunk considerably. The maximum depth in 1993 was described as "a foot deep." In January 1997, it was approximately 10 cm deep; in December 1998 the pond was almost dry everywhere except for an area of a few tens of square meters. Most of the water that was left was restricted to depressions around large boulders in the pond.

Lake Vanda

Lake Vanda is a hypersaline lake with a salinity more than ten times that of seawater (salinity that exceeds 35%), which makes it technically world's most saline lake outside of Antarctica, although parts of Lake Vanda lie within Antarctica. Lake Vanda is also meromictic, which means that the deeper waters of the lake don't mix with the shallower waters, hence measurements are generally referring to the surface waters. Like Don Juan Pond, there are no fish in Lake Vanda. The only life is microorganisms. But unlike the pond, Lake Vanda actually freezes in the colder months, yielding a totally transparent clear ice, visible metres deep.

Lake Assal

Lake Assal is generally considered the most saline body of water on earth outside Antarctica, with up to 40% (at 20 m depth) salt concentration. Lake Assal is a crater lake in central Djibouti, located at the southern border of Tadjoura Region, touching Dikhil Region, some 120 km west of Djibouti city. It lies 155 m below sea level in the Afar Depression and its shores comprise the lowest point on land in Africa. It measures 19 by 7 km and has an area of 54 km2. The maximum depth is 40 m, whereas the mean depth is 7.4 m , which makes for a water volume of 400 million cubic metres. The catchment area measures 900 km2, and there is just a residual runoff of fresh water into the lake.

Garabogazköl

The salinity of this bay is about 35%. Because of the exceptionally high salinity it has practically no marine vegetation. The Garabogazköl (literally "mighty strait lake") is a shallow inundated depression in the northwestern corner of Turkmenistan. It forms a bay of the Caspian Sea with a surface area of about 18,000 km2. The water volume of the bay fluctuates seasonally with the Caspian Sea; at times it becomes a large bay of the Caspian Sea, while at other times its water level drops drastically.

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea sits at about 33.7% salinity. It is notable as being 378 m deep: the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is not, as often cited, the saltiest body of water on Earth.

Answer 2

The saltiest bodies of water on Earth is in fact contained in some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond and perhaps Lake Vanda). I will also discuss other notable hypersaline lakes outside Antarctica. It is very important to note that the Dead Sea is often incorrectly considered the world's most saline lake. Don Juan Pond: The salinity in Don Juan Pond is over 18 times the ocean's salinity: the salinity is high enough that it doesn't freeze even in winter. It has an estimated salinity of over 63%. Therefore, unlike other lakes and ponds in the dry valleys, it has no ice cover. It has been described as a groundwater discharge zone. The dominant ions in solution are calcium and chloride. The area around Don Juan Pond is covered with sodium chloride and calcium chloride salts that have been precipitated as the water evaporated. Unfortunately, in recent years the size of the pond has shrunk considerably. The maximum depth in 1993 was described as "a foot deep." In January 1997, it was approximately 10 cm deep; in December 1998 the pond was almost dry everywhere except for an area of a few tens of square meters. Most of the water that was left was restricted to depressions around large boulders in the pond. Lake Vanda: Lake Vanda is a hypersaline lake with a salinity more than ten times that of seawater (salinity that exceeds 35%), which makes it technically world's most saline lake outside of Antarctica, although parts of Lake Vanda lie within Antarctica. Lake Vanda is also meromictic, which means that the deeper waters of the lake don't mix with the shallower waters, hence measurements are generally referring to the surface waters. Like Don Juan Pond, there are no fish in Lake Vanda. The only life is microorganisms. But unlike the pond, Lake Vanda actually freezes in the colder months, yielding a totally transparent clear ice, visible metres deep. Lake Assal: Lake Assal is generally considered the most saline body of water on earth outside Antarctica, with up to 40% (at 20 m depth) salt concentration. Lake Assal is a crater lake in central Djibouti, located at the southern border of Tadjoura Region, touching Dikhil Region, some 120 km west of Djibouti city. It lies 155 m below sea level in the Afar Depression and its shores comprise the lowest point on land in Africa. It measures 19 by 7 km and has an area of 54 km2. The maximum depth is 40 m, whereas the mean depth is 7.4 m , which makes for a water volume of 400 million cubic metres. The catchment area measures 900 km2, and there is just a residual runoff of fresh water into the lake. Garabogazköl: The salinity of this bay is about 35%. Because of the exceptionally high salinity it has practically no marine vegetation. The Garabogazköl (literally "mighty strait lake") is a shallow inundated depression in the northwestern corner of Turkmenistan. It forms a bay of the Caspian Sea with a surface area of about 18,000 km2. The water volume of the bay fluctuates seasonally with the Caspian Sea; at times it becomes a large bay of the Caspian Sea, while at other times its water level drops drastically. The Dead Sea: The Dead Sea sits at about 33.7% salinity. It is notable as being 378 m deep: the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is not, as often cited, the saltiest body of water on Earth.

Answer 3

Don Juan Pond, Antarctica.

Answer 4

The Pacific Ocean

Answer 5

The dead sea.