The Qtara Depression in Egypt is 436 feet below sea level. The temperature can reach 140 degrees inside it so nothing lives there. A canal from the Mediterranean to the depression would bleed off global sea level rise for many decades. There has been a plan to produce hydro electricity through this project for many years that simply awaits funding. The electricity would eventually pay for the project. One day a new inland sea fishery would ultimately arise for Egypt, as well. Finally, the sea water would cool the depression and evaporate quickly which would also help lower sea level, increase cloud cover and humidity in the Sahara and help deliver more rainfall to the region. A good deal of the projected 10 to 20 foot sea level rise could be diverted to this useless hole with many beneficial results.
JOSEPH F. COLLINSON III
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qtara - 2009-12-08 17:13:19
Interesting idea with some potential hydroelectric benefits but ...
a) life is amazing tenacious and even in the Qtara Depression harbors life especially along its periphery including a population of cheetahs and gazelles and
b) flooding this desert won't help much with sea level rise. According to Wikipedia, the depression covers some 18,000 km2 and is up to 133 m deep. Assuming it was a perfect hole in the ground and you could fill it to 100 m depth of water, you would siphon off 1800 cubic kilometers of water. Alas, the world's oceans cover 330,000,000 km2. Filling the depression would lower the world sea level by about 0.5 centimeters - 0.2 inches.
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rogard ross - crofton, md - Karma: Neutral
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