ABSTRACT.- Contributions to the evaluation of a new geomorphologic risk phenomenon into semi-arid areas: sinkholes. Even though the initial geomorphologic term “sinkhole” had only the signification of a small depression relief from the karst regions arisen after following a natural dissolving process of some carbonated rocks (the all known term “kettle”); now this signification diversified. This is why in the geomorphologic Anglo-Saxon vocabulary, the terms “sink”, “shake hole”, “swallow hole”, “kettle” or “cenote” are equivalent. Other geomorphologic phenomenona develop a similar relief (suffusion, compaction, falling and collapsing processes), that trigger the appearance of funnels, holes etc. Nowadays, following the research for preventing of such processes that can produce catastrophic effects, this term has become a word used very often by the constructors that have to find solutions in such situations. Starting 1980, on the both sides of Dead Sea there were found such depression sinks that grew in the years 2000, so that today we find over 1500 of them in the whole Israel. We have studied only those that appeared following the diminution of the Dead Sea’s level on its western shore, near Ein Gedi. Based on the geomagnetic data, the satellite information and their confrontation with the ground, we realized a prediction for their evolution on an alignment that could affect even the Nirvana and Leonardo Hotels.
Key words: sinkholes, Dead Sea, Israel.