gidon: these are samples we took together. eric: so these are all from sinkholes? gidon: yeah. eric: chemical analysis of the water samples will reveal more about the cave systems, like what minerals have been dissolved and how quickly that's happening. the results will inform the israeli government about how the landscape is changing and how it can be safely used in the future. gidon: we can give them an estimation of where the dangerous areas are. and so this system is short-term prediction. we also use this information to map the entire area in terms of a sinkhole hazard, and this is used for general purposes of planning, planning recreation areas, planning buildings, planning a new settlement, even. don't plan an area, a settlement in an area where we can tell you that it's going to be prone to sinkholes. eric: one reason the dead sea is shrinking is because humans are taking the water out. it's pumped via canals to shallow evaporation ponds. they've become the new home of the dead sea tourism industry, but many visitors don't realize they're not swimming in the natural sea