This image shows the Middle East, with the Jordan Rift Valley running north to south. The most prominent feature is the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth’s surface, more than 420 meters (1,378 feet) below sea level. The extremely high salinity means fish cannot live in this sea, although there are bacteria and fungi. With the Jordan River as its main source of water, the Dead Sea has no water outflow. The water level has nonetheless been dropping, because some of the incoming water from the river has been diverted. July 4, 2013.