Dead Sea Research Articles

Multiple staging of pressure retarded osmosis: Impact on the energy generation

As pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is getting more attention for sustainable energy generation, further investigation to enhance its efficiency is required. Applying a multiple-stage PRO scenario is one suggestion to boost the generated energy in the PRO process. This research evaluates the benefit of multiple stages of pressure retarded osmosis on specific energy generation. Single, dual, ternary, and quaternary pressure retarded osmosis stages were investigated for power generation using four membrane modules in the PRO process. Eight designs were proposed to cover the arrangement of the membrane modules in a single, dual, ternary and quaternary PRO process and estimate the net-specific energy generation of pressure retarded osmosis. For each design, the variation in the total energy input and the total energy output of single and multistage pressure retarded osmosis processes were calculated. The water flux and the power density enhanced with the number of stages for the investigated multistage PRO scenarios. The maximum water flux and power density resulted in four PRO stages of values equal to 6 L/m2.h and 15 W/m2, respectively. For the Dead Sea-reverse osmosis brine salinity gradient, a 33.96 % rise in the net specific energy generation is observed in the quaternary-stages pressure retarded osmosis scenario. The Dead Sea and wastewater salinity gradients produced the highest net specific energy generation of 0.82 kW.h/m3 over the other investigated types of salinity gradients.

Visualizing Pentateuchal Composition: A New View of the Creation of Ancient Hebrew Literature

This article describes a gap in scholarship on the Hebrew Bible, and demonstrates a way to address it via a digital humanities project that is at once a research tool and an interactive work of public scholarship. The gap results from the fact, well-known among scholars but still startling to much of the public, that ancient Israel had no Bible as we know it. This is the case for the Persian and Hellenistic period, when, as we know largely from the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the textual form of many biblical books and the biblical canon as a unit was not yet fixed. But it is also true in a different way for an earlier period in the history of the Pentateuch, before the texts were edited into their current form. With this consensus as a starting point, we present the opportunity to visualize the most widely-agreed on possible sources and layers of the Pentateuch separately, offering a glimpse of texts closer to what people in ancient Israel may have actually had, and let readers experiment with how they may have been combined.

Characterization of the clayey sediments in the exposed mudflats of the western Dead Sea shore

Abstract The retreat of the Dead Sea and the lowering of the base level in recent decades have led to the exposure of the littoral clay sediments on the shore, the occurrence of exposed mudflats and the development of ground subsidence along strips (‘subsidence strips’) and clustered sinkholes. Based on field observations and laboratory analyses, the present study characterizes the clayey sediments in the environment of the exposed mudflats on the western Dead Sea shore. The clayey sediments of the exposed mudflats (‘mudflat sediments’) consist of fine-grained laminated calcareous clays. The mineral composition of the bulk mudflat sediments consists of clay and carbonate minerals (calcite, aragonite and dolomite) with some quartz and feldspar, and frequently gypsum and halite. The clay mineral composition of these samples is smectitic illite–smectite and kaolinite with some discrete illite and palygorskite. The smectitic illite–smectite is randomly interstratified (1.7 nm illite–smectite type R = 0). Although the detrital smectitic illite–smectite in the mudflat sediments is situated in the saline environment of the Dead Sea shore, no significant illitization is observed in the depositional detrital clay. Subsidence strips with clustered sinkholes were formed in the exposed mudflats as part of the adjustment of the Dead Sea periphery to the lowering of the base level as a result of the retreat. The field observations in the studied area reveal that the subsiding of mudflat sediments in the formation of the subsidence strips usually involves mud sagging of wet clayey sediments in the subsurface and sediment collapse of dry clayey sediments near the surface.

Coseismic Deformation, Fault Slip Distribution, and Coulomb Stress Perturbation of the 2023 Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Doublet Based on SAR Offset Tracking

The Türkiye-Syria earthquake doublet of 6 February 2023 (Mw 7.8 at 01:17 UTC and Mw 7.6 at 10:24 UTC) resulted in extensive damage and tens of thousands of casualties. We present the surface displacements of the two earthquakes from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) offset tracking measurements. We extracted the geometric parameters of the rupture faults from the surface displacements and early aftershock distribution, based on which we inverted the coseismic slip distributions. We then calculated Coulomb stress to investigate the triggering relationship between the earthquakes and stress transfer to neighbouring faults and regions. The coseismic ruptures of the earthquake doublet were predominantly left-lateral strike-slip motions distributed between 0 and 15 km depth. The maximum fault slip reached > 8 m (Mw 7.8) and almost 10 m (Mw 7.6). The coseismic deformation and fault slip motion are consistent with the overall westward extrusion of the Anatolian Plate relative to the Eurasian and Arabian plates. The Mw 7.8 earthquake increased Coulomb failure stress at the hypocenter of the Mw 7.6 earthquake, implying that the Mw 7.8 event had a strong positive causative effect. Moreover, coseismic stress perturbations revealed a positive Coulomb stress effect on the middle Puturge Fault, northern Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ), Yesemek Fault, Antakya Fault, and Turkoglu Fault, indicating an increasing seismic hazard in these regions.

Enhancing of uniaxial compressive strength of travertine rock prediction through machine learning and multivariate analysis

Indirect methods for predicting material properties in rock engineering are vital for assessing elastic mechanical properties. Accurately predicting material properties holds significant importance in rock and geotechnical engineering, as it strongly influences decisions about the design and construction of infrastructure projects. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) is one of the most important elastic mechanical properties for understanding how rocks and geological formations respond to stress and deformation. However, the standard UCS test faces several challenges, including its destructive nature, high costs, time-consuming procedures, and the requirement for high-quality samples. Therefore, there is a growing demand for indirect methods to estimate UCS, which are invaluable tools for evaluating the elastic mechanical properties of materials. The study aimed to comprehensively analyze the relationships between UCS of travertine rock samples collected from the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley formations and seven different rock indices by utilizing parametric and non-parametric methods. The laboratory results indicate that the study area's travertine rock possesses high-quality and desirable properties. The results reveal that certain rock indices, such as Schmidt hammer, Leeb rebound hardness, and Point Load, strongly correlate with Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS). Conversely, other indices, specifically dry density, absorption, pulse velocity, and porosity, exhibit a considerably weaker or very weak relationship with UCS. The paper employs three machine learning techniques, namely the Tree model, k-nearest neighbors (KNN), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), to develop predictive models for rock strength. The models were trained on a dataset of rock properties and corresponding mechanical strength values. The study's results revealed that the M5 tree model is the most suitable method for predicting UCS. It demonstrates robust performance across a spectrum of metrics and boasts low prediction errors. Following the M5 tree model are the KNN, ANN, and regression methods in descending order of performance.

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Jordan River Dureijat archeological site reveal subtle late Pleistocene water-level changes at Lake Hula, Jordan Valley, Israel

AbstractSedimentary records of environmental conditions retrieved from archeological sites provide valuable insight into the milieux of ancient humans and context to understand societal and cultural changes. At Jordan River Dureijat, an open-air site in Israel’s Hula Valley documenting the entire Epipaleolithic period as well as the Early Neolithic, sediments exposed on the walls of the excavation pit reveal a sequence of lacustrine deposits accumulated continuously between c. 21.1 and 11.3 cal ka BP near the southeast margin of Paleolake Hula. Through sediment-grain-size, geochemical, and paleontological analyses, we describe the nature of the Paleolake Hula from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the start of the Holocene. Until c. 17.2 cal ka BP, Paleolake Hula existed as a relatively large and well-buffered waterbody. A rapid and substantial drawdown of the lake occurred at 17.2 cal ka BP, followed by more frequent changes in the position of the shoreline in a smaller and shallower lake, resulting in the deposition of alternating near-shore and deeper lacustrine facies. Since the LGM, seven beds of structureless, silty sediments preserve archeological artifacts belonging to three Epipaleolithic cultures as well as the Early Neolithic pre-pottery Neolithic A culture. These sediments were deposited during phases of low lake level during which times humans waded into the shallow part of the lake, leaving behind stone and bone tools such as bladelets, lunates and burins, fishing hooks, line weights and net sinkers. Using radiocarbon-dated charcoal and a Bayesian statistical model, we produced a chronostratigraphic model for the archeological site, which enables the comparison of proxy paleoclimate records produced from this site’s sediments with regional archives as well as with global trends and changes in the Northern Hemisphere climate. Periods of low lake stands are correlated with the end of the LGM, Heinrich Event 1, and the beginning of the Younger Dryas Stadial. High water stands occurred contemporaneously with the peak of the LGM and during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial. This new water-level record from Lake Hula confirms that lake-level changes here broadly paralleled those of the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee during the late Pleistocene, highlighting the importance of northern water sources to the overall water balance of the lakes along the Dead Sea Transform.

Homogenizing instrumental earthquake catalogs – a case study around the Dead Sea Transform Fault Zone

The creation of a homogenized earthquake catalog is a fundamental step in seismic hazard analysis. The homogenization procedure, however, is complex and requires a good understanding of the heterogeneities among the available bulletins. Common events within the bulletins have to be identified and assigned with the most suitable origin time and location solution, while all the events have to be harmonized into a single magnitude scale. This process entails several decision variables that are usually defined using qualitative measures or expert opinion, without a clear exploration of the associated uncertainties. To address this issue, we present an automated and data-driven workflow that defines spatio-temporal margins within which duplicate events fall and converts the various reported magnitudes into a common scale. Special attention has been paid to the fitted functional form and the validity range of the derived magnitude conversion relations. The proposed methodology has been successfully applied to a wide region around the Dead Sea Transform Fault Zone (27N-36N, 31E-39E), with input data from various sources such as the International Seismological Centre and the Geophysical Institute of Israel. The produced public catalog contains more than 5500 events, between 1900 and 2017, with moment magnitude Mw above 3. The MATLAB/Python scripts used in this study are also available.

Tectonic Aspects of the East Anatolian 06.02.2023 Earthquake in Turkey

Abstract—During the East Anatolian earthquake with Mw = 7.8, which occurred on February 6, 2023 at 1:17 UTC, the 361 km long segment of the NE-trending East Anatolian active left-lateral fault zone (EAFZ) was activated. A left-lateral displacement took place at a distance of 318 km on formed seismic ruptures. Its maximum magnitude of 8.5 m is registered northward of the earthquake epicenter. To the northeast, the displacement of several meters is maintained over a significant length of the activated segment and is accompanied by uplift of the south-eastern side of the ruptured zone at up to 1.5 m. To the southwest of the maximum displacement area, the strike slip decreases from it at shorter distances compared to the northeastern part and the vertical component varies, although the southeastern side is mostly uplifted. In the terminal southwest, the strike slip is replaced by normal faults, gaping fractures, and other manifestations of transverse extension, which are accompanied by landslides and are mainly secondary seismic dislocations. Left lateral slip also occurred at the northern ends of the western and eastern branches of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), adjacent to the EAFZ from the south. Despite the fact that the energy distribution of numerous aftershocks along the EAFZ is generally proportional to the distribution of offsets on seismic ruptures, the slip on the EAFZ occurred during and immediately after the main shock. In the northern part of the DST, a significant decrease in the amount of energy released by strong earthquakes during the last centuries has been established. We consider that the tectonic stress accumulated in the northern part of the DST became the important geodynamic source of the East Anatolian 02.06.2023 earthquake.

Tectonic Analysis of the Tall Al Qarn Pressure Ridge, Dead Sea Transform Fault, Jordan

Jordan's Dead Sea Transform is made up of three morphotectonic elements: Wadi Araba, Dead Sea Basin, and Jordan Valley. A few pressure ridges and depressions exist in the Jordan Valley Fault. Among these, the Tall Al Qarn pressure ridge is one of the active Dead Sea Transform's morphotectonic features. Stratigraphically, the Waqqas (Miocene), Ghor Al Katar (Early Pleistocene), and Lisan (Late Pleistocene) Formations constitute the rock outcrops in the study area. The ridge was created when the sinistral strike-slip fault of the Jordan Valley bent rightward. The major structures include the Waqqas and Ghor Al Katar inclined beds, the NW-SE oriented normal and NE-SW reverse faults and the ESE-WNW oriented dextral strike-slip faults. Faults and folds indicate a local NW-SE compressional stress caused by the sinistral Jordan Valley Fault's right bending. The steeply dipping Ghor Al Katar strata, which are overlain by the horizontal Lisan beds, display a prominent angular unconformity. Many horizontal Lisan beds exhibit abundant synsedimentary deformational features, indicating the energetic seismic activity at that time.

The Future of Data Storytelling for Precipitation Prediction in the Dead- Sea-Jordan Using SARIMA Model

This research presents a comprehensive study focused on precipitation prediction for the Dead Sea region utilizing the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model. The investigation seeks to interpret the accuracy and reliability of the SARIMA model's predictions by comparing them with predictions derived from climate modeling techniques. The evaluation is based on key performance metrics, including Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). Additionally, the paper examines the SARIMA model's predictive capabilities through a comparison with actual observations spanning the period from 2010 to 2022. The obtained results reveal an MSE of 12.84593, an MAE of 2.34407, and an RMSE of 3.584123 for this period. Significantly, the SARIMA model surpasses the predictions of prominent climate models (CMIP6), namely ACCESS_CM2, Earth3_Veg, GISS_E2, and HadGEM3, based on comparative performance assessments. The findings emphasize the robustness of the SARIMA model in capturing the essence of the observations and predicting precipitation patterns, not only through its superior performance against climate models but also through its alignment with actual observations. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of precipitation prediction in the Dead Sea region and underscores the potential of the SARIMA model in enhancing forecasting accuracy for hydrological and climatic investigations

Karacabey Kıyı Subasar Ormanlarında Kızılağaç ve Dişbudak yeşil yapraklarının biyokimyasal bileşimi üzerinde tuzlu su girişinin etkisi

Coastal forested wetlands provide substantial benefits to society, such as wave attenuation, erosion control, biodiversity support, and carbon sequestration. Many of these unique coastal ecosystems have been drained for various reasons, while those that remain are now threatened by salt water intrusion and sea level rise due to climate change. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of soil salinity on the biochemical components of the fresh leaves of alder (Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn) and ash tree (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) which are the dominant tree species in Karacabey coastal forested wetland next to the Sea of Marmara in Türkiye. For this purpose, fresh leaf and soil samples of alder and ash trees were collected from three zones (Z1: 0-1 km, Z2: 1 to 2 km and Z3: 2 to 3 km) from the inner border (Z3) of the forested wetland to the coastline (Z1) of the Sea of Marmara. The fresh leaf samples were analyzed for photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids), anthocyanin, xanthophylls, free amino acids, total nitrate, proline, total polyphenols, total soluble tannins, total phenolic compounds, glucose, sucrose and total carbohydrates. The soil samples were analyzed for soil pH, electrical conductivity and soil texture. The results showed that the soil salinity decreased from the coastline (Z1) towards the inner border (Z3). Similarly, mean photosynthetic pigments and anthocyanin, xanthophyll also decreased from the Z1 towards Z3, whereas mean total polyphenols and total soluble tannin concentrations increased for the both tree species. The other biochemical compounds showed either an increase or a decrease according to the tree species. These pioneer results illustrate the important point that biotic or abiotic environment in which tree grows significantly change the specific biochemical components in the fresh leaves of alder and ash trees in the coastal forested wetlands. In turn, these changes may result in variation in nutrient cycling, carbon cycling, and organic matter turnover rates in these forest ecosystems.

Early Marattiaceae from the late Permian Umm Irna Formation, Jordan

We report four species of Marattiaceae from upper Permian deposits in the Dead Sea region, Jordan that are assigned to the genera Dizeugotheca Archangelsky et de la Sota 1961 and Qasimia Hill et al. 1985. The generic name Gemellitheca Wagner et al., 1985 appears to be a synonym of Dizeugotheca and the new combination Dizeugotheca saudica is proposed. The new species Qasimia archangelskyi is described. Early Marattiaceae were apparently monocaulous trees like Psaroniaceae. Marattiaceae strongly diversified in the Triassic but had already started to replace the latter group in the Permian.

Boron geochemistry reveals the evolution of Dead Sea brines

Well-known for their geological and natural singularity, the Dead Sea brines evolved from a marine ingression of the Mediterranean during the Pliocene. Dead Sea brines are currently almost ten times more concentrated than seawater and have a unique chemical composition with high boron isotope values (δ11Bbrine = ∼57‰). However, little is known on how these values were attained and their underlaying driving processes. Here we use boron isotopes (δ11B) combined with B/Ca and B/Li of lacustrine authigenic aragonites from the deep basin drill-core ICDP 5017-1, and Ein Gedi and Masada profiles to reconstruct past brine conditions. Comparing reconstructed δ11Bbrine from two key periods of contrasting hydro-climatic regimes we find that the brines of the late Holocene Dead Sea were enriched in 11B (δ11Bbrine = ∼60‰) relative to its glacial precursor Lake Lisan (∼57‰). With the aid of boron cycle modelling, we quantify the main boron fluxes in the basin. We show that the post-glacial δ11Bbrine enrichment is best explained by overall reduction of freshwater inflow to the lake and coeval increase in 10B sink through boron co-precipitation in evaporitic deposits and boron loss in atmospheric water vapour, consistent with the onset of warmer and drier climate in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Holocene. On geological time scales, adsorption of 10B on clastic sediments has acted as an important 10B sink and can explain the evolution of the high δ11Bbrine values.

Babatha's first marriage contract: hiding in plain sight

Babatha's archive of 35 richly informative legal documents from the period 94-132 ce contains only the contract for her second marriage, not her first. This omission invites investigation, in this article from a microhistorical perspective. Admittedly, Greek 'unwritten marriages' were known in Egypt during this period, and there is evidence for the influence of Greek practices in the Dead Sea region. Nevertheless, this article argues, first, that a written contract with the all-important dowry provisions (securing her position in the event of widowhood or divorce) accompanied her first marriage. Second, it is argued that Babatha retained this contract after her husband died. Third, it is argued that her second marriage contract is a copy of the first contract and that, with all its provisions (mutatis mutandis) replicated in the second, she discarded it. This course of events illuminates significant aspects of the lives of Babatha and her family.

The Text of the Pentateuch: Textual Criticism and the Dead Sea Scrolls by Sidnie White Crawford (review)

The Text of the Pentateuch: Textual Criticism and the Dead Sea Scrolls by Sidnie White Crawford (review)

BAYESIAN MODELING OF A PERIPHERAL MIDDLE BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT AT ZAHRAT ADH-DHRA‘ 1, JORDAN

ABSTRACTAnalysis of 20 calibrated accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) ages reveals a chronology for the habitation of a unique peripheral settlement at Zahrat adh-Dhra‘ 1 (ZAD 1), Jordan during the Middle Bronze Age of the Southern Levant. Bayesian modeling distinguishes three phases of occupation between the first settlement at ZAD 1, perhaps as early as about 2050 cal BCE, and its abandonment by 1700 cal BCE. ZAD 1 represents a marginal community, both environmentally and culturally, on the hyperarid Dead Sea Plain, and exemplifies the peripheral settlements that are envisioned as important elements of Bronze Age Levantine society. Most importantly for this study, it is the only peripheral site in the Southern Levant that provides a Bayesian model for its habitation during the growth of Middle Bronze Age urbanized society. The timing of ZAD 1’s constituent phases, early in Middle Bronze I, across the Middle Bronze I/II transition and in Middle Bronze II, correspond well with emerging chronologies for the Middle Bronze Age, thereby contributing to an ongoing reassessment of regional social and settlement dynamics.

The Mediating Effect of Tourists’ Satisfaction on the Relationship Between Destination Image and Tourists’ Loyalty: A Study of Selected Archaeological Sites of Jordan

Tourism has become an essential sector for the economy of many countries. The tourism industry in Jordan has been rapidly developing due to its unique and remarkable assets, such as Petra, the Dead Sea, and Mount Nebo. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of tourists' satisfaction on the relationship between destination image and tourists' loyalty in selected archaeological sites of Jordan. A conceptual model was developed based on previous empirical studies, and data were collected by distributing questionnaires to a random sample of 380 tourists who visited archaeological sites in Jordan specifically: Petra, mount Nebo, The Dead Sea and The Baptismal site. The findings of this study revealed that destination image had a significant impact on tourists' satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, tourists' satisfaction mediated the relationship between destination image and tourists' loyalty. The study also found that tourists' satisfaction had a significant impact on their loyalty towards the archaeological sites. These findings suggest that enhancing the destination image and improving tourists' satisfaction can lead to increased loyalty towards archaeological sites in Jordan. The study provides valuable insights for managers of archaeological sites to develop effective strategies for improving the tourism industry in Jordan, the most important of which is to focus on developing the destination image through promoting the unique historical aspects for the archaeological sites, as well as increasing the marketing efforts toward them, and creating a digital map for archaeological sites that would help tourists to explore and access these sites easily, in addition to improving the quality of services, facilities and infrastructure to meet the expectations of tourists and enhance their satisfaction.

Holocene humid periods of the Levant – evidence from Dead Sea lake-levels

Water availability in the Levant is predicted to decline due to global warming in the upcoming decades and is expected to substantially impact the region. Determining the long-term natural rainfall variability in this region is essential for understanding the regional hydroclimatic response to external climate forcings and for contextualizing future hydroclimate changes. The Dead Sea (DS), located in the southern Levant, is a closed-basin lake whose size varies as a function of water availability. Reconstructing DS lake-level variations through time provides a quantitative measure of the natural hydroclimate variability and can inform on the local hydroclimate response to changes in global climate. Here, we constructed an updated lake-level history of the Holocene DS by: 1) studying lake high-stands derived from a series of new cores collected in the DS southern basin, 2) re-dating of the two major Holocene high-stand exposures, and 3) compiling all previously published ages of Holocene DS lake-level markers (n = 296 radiocarbon ages). The results show that the early (10–6.1 kyr cal BP) and late Holocene (3.6–0 kyr cal BP) in the DS were predominantly wet albeit punctuated by dry intervals, whereas the middle Holocene (6.1–3.6 kyr cal BP) was most likely relatively dry. This pattern of two Holocene humid intervals is also evident in distillation records derived from Levant speleothem caves (which represent the integrated magnitude of rainout from the vapor source to the caves), indicating that rainfall intensity and total water availability were correlated throughout the Holocene. These two humid intervals occurred during high and low summer insolation conditions, suggesting that they were modulated by different climatic mechanisms. The predicted future drying in the Levant is of similar magnitude to the natural hydroclimate variability and thus, it is crucial to assess whether the anthropogenic drying is in- or out-of phase with the natural climate variability.

Non‐Triggering and Then Triggering of a Repeating Aftershock Sequence in the Dead Sea by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Pair: Implications for the Physics of Remote Delayed Aftershocks

AbstractMost aftershocks occur in areas experiencing large co‐seismic stress changes, yet some occur long after the mainshock in remote lightly stressed regions. The triggering mechanism of these remote delayed aftershocks is not well understood. Here, we study aftershocks occurring in the Dead Sea (DS) area following the 2023 Mw7.8 and Mw7.6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Most aftershocks cluster along previously quiescent structures off‐ the main DS fault strand. Visual inspection disclosed three aftershocks instantaneously triggered by the Mw7.6 in the northern DS basin, and match‐filtering revealed a delayed aftershock. Waveform similarity and temporal clustering suggest the northern DS aftershocks re‐rupture a stick‐slip patch loaded by surrounding creep. Velocity‐gradient seismograms show the Mw7.6 exerted larger transient stresses than the Mw7.8, which may explain triggering by the Mw7.6, but not by the Mw7.8. This account of instantaneously triggered repeaters underscores the role of interactions between aseismic and seismic slip in remote triggering.

Drainage Mechanisms of Submerged Sinkholes

Subsurface salt layer dissolution along the western shores of the Dead Sea is considered to be the primary cause for extensive large sinkhole formation in the past 40 years. Many of these sinkholes are arranged in clusters and are filled with water from nearby springs. The Mineral Beach resort was built in an area with a thermal spring with water emerging at around 40 °C at the Shalem sinkhole cluster. Unfortunately, the same spring was responsible for the destruction of the resort as it supplied water undersaturated with respect to halite, which promoted dissolution and sinkhole formation. The sinkholes in the Shalem cluster drain out in sudden catastrophic events and then slowly fill again. The drainage mechanisms of this phenomenon are studied in the Shalem-2 sinkhole cluster using leveling data collectors and ground-based LiDAR surveys over a period of 5 years, including thirty-five drainage events. Drainage volume and fluxes calculated using water level and topographic data obtained by LiDAR scans suggest that the formation of additional sinkholes beneath the pond’s bottom triggers drainage events. The subsequent flux shows that the evolution of the newly formed sinkholes either improves the hydraulic connection or temporarily seals the connection between the surface pond and deeper caverns/aquifers. The drainage event ends when either the hydraulic connection is sealed or when the level of water in the pond drops to the level of the newly formed sinkhole. The large volumes of drained water and drainage fluxes imply the existence of a well-developed active underground draining system.