The Crustal Structure Of The Dead Sea Transform

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Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
Geophys. J. Int. (2004) 156, 655–681
Year of Publication: 
2004
Authors: 
DESERT Group
M. Weber
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
K. Abu-Ayyash
Natural Resources Authority, Amman, Jordan
A. Abueladas
Natural Resources Authority, Amman, Jordan
A. Agnon
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
H. Al-Amoush
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
A. Babeyko
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
Y. Bartov
National Ministry of Infrastructure, Jerusalem, Israel
M. Baumann
University of Potsdam, Germany
Z. Ben-Avraham
Tel Aviv University, Israel
G. Bock
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
J. Bribach
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
R. El-Kelani
An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
A. Forster
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
H.-J. Forster
University of Potsdam, Germany
U. Frieslander
Geophysical Institute of Israel, Lod, Israel
Z. Garfunkel
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
S. Grunewald
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
H. J. Gotze
Free University of Berlin, Germany
V. Haak
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
Ch. Haberland
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
M. Hassouneh
Natural Resources Authority, Amman, Jordan
S. Helwig
University of Koln, Germany
A. Hofstetter
Geophysical Institute of Israel, Lod, Israel
K.-H. Jackel
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
D. Kesten
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
R. Kind
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
N. Maercklin
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
J. Mechie
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
A. Mohsen
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
F. M. Neubauer
University of K¨oln, Germany
R. Oberhansli
University of Potsdam, Germany
I. Qabbani
Natural Resources Authority, Amman, Jordan
O. Ritter
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
G. Rumpker
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
M. Rybakov
Geophysical Institute of Israel, Lod, Israel
T. Ryberg
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
F. Scherbaum
University of Potsdam, Germany
J. Schmidt
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
A. Schulze
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
S. Sobolev
Institute of Earth Physics, Moscow
M. Stiller
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
H. Thoss
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
U. Weckmann
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
K. Wylegalla
GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
Preferred Abstract (Original): 

 To address one of the central questions of plate tectonics—How do large transform systems work and what are their typical features?—seismic investigations across the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the boundary between the African and Arabian plates in the Middle East, were conducted for the first time. A major component of these investigations was a combined reflection/ refraction survey across the territories of Palestine, Israel and Jordan. The main results of this study are: (1) The seismic basement is offset by 3–5 km under the DST, (2) The DST cuts through the entire crust, broadening in the lower crust, (3) Strong lower crustal reflectors are imaged only on one side of the DST, (4) The seismic velocity sections show a steady increase in the depth of the crust-mantle transition (Moho) from ∼26 km at the Mediterranean to ∼39 kmunder the Jordan highlands, with only a small but visible, asymmetric topography of the Moho under the DST. These observations can be linked to the left-lateral movement of 105 km of the two plates in the last 17 Myr, accompanied by strong deformation within a narrow zone cutting through the entire crust. Comparing the DST and the San Andreas Fault (SAF) system, a strong asymmetry in subhorizontal lower crustal reflectors and a deep reaching deformation zone both occur around the DST and the SAF. The fact that such lower crustal reflectors and deep deformation zones are observed in such different transform systems suggests that these structures are possibly fundamental features of large transform plate boundaries.

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