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A: Crustal cross-section across the Dead Sea Basin (see for location Fig. 3) from wide-angle re fl ection and refraction seismic data (compiled by Mechie et al., 2009). B: Crustal cross-section across the Arava Valley (see for location Fig. 3) based on a P-wave velocity model from wide-angle re fl ection and refraction seismic data (compiled by Weber and DESERT Group, 2004). Sinistral strike-slip movement: circles with dot (arrow point) and cross (arrow tail) indicate block movement left of the fault zone toward the reader ’ s eye and movement of the right block away from the reader, respectively. Hatching near the Moho in Pro fi le BB ’ indicates the location of bands of strong re fl ectivity.
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Whereas the Dead Sea Fault is a major continental transform, active since ca. 1318 Ma ago, it has a rift-like morphology along its southern part. It has been argued that this results from a transtensional component active since 5 Ma ago, due to a regional plate kinematics change. We present the results of 3D laboratory experiments carried out to t...
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Hot orogens, as best exemplified by Archean and Proterozoic accretionnary orogens, show several specific characteristics that we review in this paper. At lithospheric scale, hot orogens combine horizontal flow of a thick and hot ductile crust with strain concentration along steeply dipping deformation zones along which pieces of upper crust are bur...
Citations
... In this way, the asymmetric shape of the CF strongly resembles the typical morphology resulting from fault activity, specifically from the development of normal faults with variable dips (Chorowicz, 2005a;Burbank and Anderson, 2013 Fig. 3). This halfgraben-like morphology on Earth usually develops both in extensional geodynamic regimes (e.g., the East African Rift system) (Atmaoui and Hollnack, 2003;Chorowicz, 2005;Komolafe et al., 2012) and in strikeslip deformation belts with local extension, such as Lake Baikal (Tapponnier and Molnar, 1979; ten Brink and Taylor, 2002), the Owen Fracture Zone basin (Rodriguez et al., 2013), and the Dead Sea Fault zone (Ben-Avraham et al., 2008;Smit et al., 2010). Therefore, in this study, the Martian morphology in the investigated area is compared with that of normal faulting processes using numerical modelling. ...
The Claritas Fossae (CF) is an elongated system of scarps and depressions >900 km long, representing the western boundary of the Thaumasia Region to the south of the Tharsis volcanic province. Although there is general agreement on the tectonic nature of such major physiographic feature, the processes that led to its formation are still debated. This study aims to better understand the tectonic evolution of the CF by combining two methodologies: kinematic numerical modelling and structural mapping. Through kinematic numerical modelling, we reproduce the present-day long-wavelength topography (hundreds of kilometres) at CF along four across-strike topographic profiles through the activity of a crustal listric normal fault. We observe that the modelled fault reaches the base of the crust, located at 80 km of depth, without changes in its listric geometry, suggesting a rather homogeneous thick crust. The accuracy of the results is based on the calculated mean misfit between the Martian and modelled topography. In two of the four profiles, the misfit is locally relatively higher, suggesting that the normal dip-slip component alone hardly explains the entire tectonic setting. Through structural mapping, we explore the depressions and scarps that feature the entire study area. We identify four sets
of lineaments with different kinematics. The angular and crosscutting relationships between the sets suggest a Riedel-type arrangement within a dextral strike-slip shear zone. Thus, we propose a tectonic evolutionary model of the CF that involves a polyphase evolution made up of a Noachian-Early Hesperian right-lateral strike-slip phase followed by a Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian transtensional reactivation characterised by a significant normal dip-slip component. Our results suggest that the tectonics on Mars were not exclusively single or longterm deformations and that multiple subsequent tectonic events may have contributed to the present-day setting.
... Ben-Avraham [146] and Smit et al. [147] analyzed the asymmetric basin developments along transforming continental faults on the eastern side of the revealed deep structure projection. Based on our data, the recognized deep structure influenced the asymmetric structure of these basins and their left-lateral regional counterclockwise rotation. ...
... In the Dead Sea region and the Eilat graben system (Israel-Jordan), the axial part of the graben is confined to the east, while its flattened part extends to the west [146][147][148]. The tectonic-geomorphological and magmatic asymmetries of the Dead Sea basin's eastern and western coasts are well known. ...
... The tectonic-geomorphological and magmatic asymmetries of the Dead Sea basin's eastern and western coasts are well known. Higher amplitudes characterize the eastern part of the basin and are more active [147]. Based on the general gently arcuate structure of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) [146,149], a new geodynamic concept was proposed to clarify the asymmetry of the deep displacement of the graben-like structures [16]. ...
The catastrophic earthquakes in Eastern Turkey (Eastern Mediterranean) require their geodynamic understanding. The two most decisive events with magnitudes of 7.95 and 7.86 on 06.02.2023, followed by a series of more than 10,000 significant aftershocks. These tragic events led to the death of more than 60 thousand people. The above values indicate the colossal tension created in the Earth's crust. The region where these strongest earthquakes occurred is a complex junction zone of four tectonic plates: Eurasian, Arabian, African, and Anatolian. The joint movement of these plates (consisting, in turn, of tectonic elements of different ages) occurs at an average rate of 6–18 mm per year. After two marked powerful shocks and a series of aftershocks, some sectors of the Anatolian plate shifted to the southwest by more than 11 meters. Our recent publications indicated the presence of a giant, rotating quasi-ring structure below the Easternmost Mediterranean. This research contains significant newly obtained data. The quantitative analysis of the satellite-derived gravity data indicates the lower mantle occurrence of the anomalous target. Examination of the geoid anomalies map also testifies to the deep origin of this structure. The regional seismic tomography data confirm the presence of anomalous zones at a depth of 1,500-1,700 km. The GPS vector map and the comprehensive review of paleomagnetic data display the counterclockwise rotation of this structure. Analysis of the recently constructed magnetic field ΔZ pattern commonly proves the presence of this quasi-ring structure. The newly developed paleobiogeographic map is consistent with the proposed physical–geological model. A widespread analysis of tectonic, petrological, and mineralogical data implies a connection between the discovered deep structure and near-surface processes. A crucial for understanding the nature of the considered seismic stress is its location near the expressed bend of the Mesozoic terrane belt, where the Arabian Plate is deeply intruded into the Alpine-Himalayan belt. Thus, the rotation of this giant deep structure may
accumulate the stress effect retrieved from the satellite, airborne, and surface geophysical observations. We propose that this stress, along with the known Earth’s crust seismological activity in this region, is the causative reason for the catastrophic geodynamic events in Eastern Turkey.
... Similar time-progressive deformational patterns are observed associated with the releasing step-overs determined by the strike-slip faults (e.g. Smit et al., 2010;Brogi et al., 2021b). The strike slip faults of phase three would form in releasing step-overs during the same tectonic phase with progressive deformation. ...
Travertines are terrestrial carbonates that are commonly associated with fault activity in extensional and transtensional basins. The faults serve as conduits for the rise and mixing of carbonate enriched fluids with thermal and meteoric CO 2 inputs promoting travertine precipitation at the surface. Therefore, travertine successions provide key constrain on the faulting, depositional environments, fluid flow and climate. This work focuses on the travertine succession in the Miocene Levač Basin, the marginal basin of the Morava Corridor situated at the junction of the Dinarides and the southernmost Carpathians. Detailed sedimentological, geochronological (U‐Pb age, laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry) and structural analyses of the travertines are used to reconstruct the evolution of the feeding hydrothermal system. Furthermore, these data were used to understand the controlling factors governing alternation of fluid flows enriched in thermally generated and meteoric CO 2 , and precipitation of travertines in Levač Basin, and finally to elucidate the late stage of basin evolution. Four facies associations are distinguished within the succession, i.e. travertine slope, ridge, flat, and travertine flat under the fluvial influence. The results demonstrated that travertine deposition was controlled by north‐west/south‐west and north‐east/south‐east normal fault arrays. Stable isotope data show positive δ ¹³ C values (with δ ¹⁸ O being negative) shifting to negative in the distal and stratigraphically younger deposits implying dilution of deep hydrothermal fluids by mixing with meteoric waters. Finally, travertine deposits yielded a new U‐Pb age of ca 14 Ma indicating that the Middle Miocene extensional phase known from other intermountain basins in the Dinarides reached as far east as the Levač Basin and Morava Corridor.
... Ben-Avraham (1992) and Smit et al. (2010) analyzed the development of asymmetric basins along transforming continental faults on the eastern side of the revealed deep structure projection. Based on our data, we believe that the recognized deep structure influenced the asymmetric structure of these basins and their left-lateral regional counterclockwise rotation. ...
... In contrast, the eastern part of the basin is characterized by higher amplitudes and is more active (Garfunkel and Ben-Avraham, 1996). Based on the general gently arcuate structure of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) (Smit et al., 2010;Sharon et al., 2020), it was proposed a new geodynamic concept to explain the asymmetry of the deep displacement of the graben-like structures (Eppelbaum et al., 2021). Its essence is the regional development of both shear and rotational displacements of tectonic blocks, which is crucial for explaining the asymmetry of the regional basins. ...
... The axis of the sea's deep-water basin was displaced to its eastern shore, while the axis of its shallow-water basin was moved to the western shore . However, analysis of paleomagnetic data (Ron et al., 1984) obtained from areas adjacent to the Galilee region, and results of structural mapping, have detected extensive developments of arcuate faults in the shear zone (Smit et al., 2010). It enabled us to clarify the general dominant nature of the regional movement geodynamics. ...
The Easternmost Mediterranean is a junction zone between the most significant Earth’s lithospheric segments – Eurasian and African-Arabian, and a transition area from the ocean to the continent. The latest catastrophic earthquakes in eastern Turkey require their geodynamic understanding. The two most decisive events (magnitudes 7.8 and 7.7) were observed at 9 hours on February 06, 2023, followed by a series of about 10,000 significative aftershocks. These tragic events led to the death of more than 60 thousand people. The above values indicate the colossal tension created in the Earth’s crust. The region where these strongest earthquakes occurred is a tectonically very complex junction zone of four tectonic plates: Eurasian, Arabian, African, and Anatolian. The joint movement of these plates (consisting, in turn, of tectonic elements of different ages) occurs at an average rate of 6–18 mm per year. However, after two marked powerful shocks and a series of aftershocks, some sectors of the Anatolian plate shifted to the southwest by more than 11 meters. What happened in eastern Turkey? The interaction of numerous factors complicates the tectonic–geodynamic characteristics of the region. Let us analyze what is the most influencing component. Our recent publications (Eppelbaum et al., 2020, 2021) indicated the presence of a giant, rotating quasi-ring structure below the Easternmost Mediterranean. The GPS vector map coinciding with the gravitational trend displays the counterclockwise rotation of this structure. A review of paleomagnetic data on the projection of the discovered structure into the Earth’s surface confirms its mainly counterclockwise rotation. Analysis of the magnetic field ΔZ, geoid anomalies map, and seismic tomography data commonly prove the presence of this deep anomaly. The geodynamic and structural characteristics of the region and paleobiogeographic data are consistent with the proposed physical–geological model. A widespread analysis of tectonic, petrological, and mineralogical data implies a connection between the discovered deep structure and near-surface
processes. Examining numerous publications by different authors confirms the above phenomenon’s existence. A crucial for understanding the nature of the considered seismic stress is its location near the expressed bend of the Mesozoic terrane belt, where the Arabian Plate is deeply intruded into the Alpine-Himalayan belt. Thus, the rotation of this giant deep structure may accumulate the stress effect and be one of the causative reasons for the last catastrophic geodynamic events in Eastern Turkey.
... The Dead Sea Fault System (DSFS) starts in the south from northern part of Aqaba Gulf to Kara Su Valley in the north with a total length about 1100 km crossing four countries, through the Arab Wadi, Jordan Valley in Jordan, the Beqa'a Valley in Lebanon and AL-Ghab Graben in Syria. That is considered as north-south, leftlateral strike shear zone as it binds the northwestern part of the Arabian plate (Smit et al., 2010;Agrawal et al., 2015) (Fig. 1). Density heterogeneities are firmly related with tectonic procedures especially in the upper-mantle, as density varieties cause huge stresses that play a big role in the crustal movements and lithosphere deformations (Kaban et al., 2015). ...
... The crustal transition occurred between the relatively strong oceanic crust and the weak and stretched continental crust in the eastern Mediterranean (Granot, 2016). The Dead Sea fault zone accommodates the sinistral displacement between the Arabian plate and the African plate (Smit et al., 2010), where the attenuation changes from lowin the eastern Mediterranean to high-in the Arabian plate. This marks a sharp change in the subduction environment and crustal properties. ...
Plain Language Summary
Different parts of the Anatolian Plateau are in different evolution stages between oceanic subduction and continental collision and currently undergoing plateau uplift and tectonic escape. The regional seismic velocity and attenuation can be used to characterize crustal partial melting and lateral heterogeneity, which can further identify the underlying subduction process. In this study, we construct a high‐resolution broadband Lg‐wave attenuation model for the Anatolian Plateau. Strong Lg attenuation in Anatolia correlates well with late Cenozoic magmatism distributions and can be an indicator of high temperature or partial melting in the crust. Combined with previous studies, we suggest that the mantle upwelling induced by the delamination of the Bitlis slab is likely reworking the crust in eastern Anatolia and is the cause of widespread thermal anomalies there. The lithospheric dripping process in central Anatolia may facilitate the mantle flows through the window between the Cyprus and Aegean slabs, and results in a piecemeal low QLg ${Q}_{\mathit{Lg}}$ anomaly pattern in central Anatolia.
... While it is not possible to exclude an interplay between localized and regional transtensional deformation, the anomalously high heat flow around the SoG (Shalev et al., 2013) is consistent with the He signatures of groundwaters that suggest an efficient mix between percolating meteoric waters and upwelling mantle-derived fluids (Gasperini et al., 2019;Inguaggiato et al., 2016). This multidisciplinary set of information is in agreement with studies proposing the SoG as a rifting environment (Hurwitz et al., 2000;Smit et al., 2010). Recent seismological studies investigating the moderate magnitude earthquakes affecting the SoG segment of the DSF suggest swarm sequences (Haddad et al., 2020;Wetzler et al., 2019) where fluids interplay with tectonic deformation. ...
Plain Language Summary
The Dead Sea Fault (DSF) is a deep‐reaching fault separating the African and the Arabian plates. Geologically recent volcanic activity is well‐spread in Northern Israel but the origin of the magmas that fed the eruptions is yet to be found. We propose that protracted extensional motion along the DSF caused crustal thinning facilitating the emplacement of magmatic bodies in the crust. Our local earthquake tomography depicts velocity distributions typical of spreading margins. At 9 km depth, a prominent anomaly marks the presence of cooling melts. Crustal emplacements of magmas in Northern Israel reconcile multiple observations that are normally not common in sedimentary environments. The occurrence of magmas at depth would release fluids that would be compatible with the seismicity that sporadically affects the region. We provide a compelling evidence for rifting in segments of the DSF and identify the potential source of magmatism that fed part of the volcanic activity of the area. Our findings hold major implications for revisiting the natural hazard assessment of the Levant region.
... Similarly, divergent plate motion relative to the strike-slip fault trace due to plate rotation may cause transtension and basin formation along parts of the Dead Sea Transform (Garfunkel, 1981;Mann, 2007;Smit et al., 2010). In addition, analog models by Sun et al. (2003Sun et al. ( , 2004 for the Song Hong Basin successfully recreated the overall outline of the basin. ...
Indochina features prominent strike-slip fault systems that originate from near the India-Eurasia collision front, stretching for hundreds to more than 1000 km into the Gulf of Tonkin. Documenting the deformation history of these strike-slip fault systems and their associated offshore basins provide crucial clues on the role of extrusion tectonics in the deformation of SE Asia. The study employs an integrated approach from field work, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imaging, and 2- and 3-D seismic and well interpretation to describe the structure and deformation history in the northern Song Hong Basin, the Bach Long Vy (BLV) island in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Song Ca-Rao Nay Fault System (SCRNFS) in north-central Vietnam, and the Hue
Sub-basin on the western flank of the Song Hong Basin. Basin opening initiated in the Song Hong Basin in the Eocene(?)-Oligocene was associated with clockwise rotation and SE-ward translation of Indochina along the left-lateral Ailao Shan-Red River Shear Zone (ASRRSZ). On BLV island, deep-lacustrine syn-rift deposits formed in the Late Oligocene and was pervasively intruded by sand injectites . In the Late Oligocene, the SCRNFS started its right-lateral motion and opened the Hue Sub-basin. Rifting was interrupted by the End-Oligocene inversion as Indochina rotation
almost ceased, causing transpression at restraining bends mainly in northern Song Hong Basin. Rifting resumed in the Early Miocene, and was more intense in the Hue Sub-basin compared to the rest of the Song Hong Basin where westward depocenter migration took place. Middle Neogene inversion affected northern Indochina due to left-lateral transpression along the ASRRSZ and SCRNFS, causing folding, uplift and erosion. The transpression occurred around the EarlyMiddle Miocene boundary in northern Hue Sub-basin. Onshore, the inversion is interpreted to be expressed as a distinct unconformity separating a quartz conglomerate from underlying compositionally immature conglomerates. The transpression event could relate to the SE Asia-Australia collision restricting escape movement of Indochina from the India-Eurasia collision front.
... Indentation is associated with a complex three-dimensional deformation transfer, different fault kinematics and strain partitioning during frontal shortening and lateral strike-slip deformation. Deformation is often associated with extrusion of continental fragments, observed in situations like India-Eurasia collision and SE Asia extrusion ( Fig. 1a; e.g., Molnar and Tapponier, 1975;Morley, 2002Morley, , 2013Searle et al., 2011;Shen et al., 2001;Tapponnier et al., 1986), Arabia-Anatolia system ( Fig. 1b; e.g., Kaymakci et al., 2010;Lyberis et al., 1992;Mantovani et al., 2006;Martinod et al., 2000;Perinçek and Çemen, 1990;Smit et al., 2010) or Adria-Europe convergence ( Fig. 1c; e.g., Frisch et al., 1998;Neubauer et al., 2000;Ratschbacher et al., 1991b;Rosenberg et al., 2004;van Gelder et al., 2020;van Unen et al., 2019;Wölfler et al., 2011). In all these situations, indentation-induced deformation is affected by extension driven by the slab roll-back of another subduction zone (Fig. 1, see also Regard et al., 2005;Schellart et al., 2019;Sternai et al., 2016). ...
Continental indentation is associated with deformation transfer from shortening to strike-slip faulting and is often affected by subduction related processes such as slab roll-back driven back-arc extension. We use crustal-scale analogue modelling to investigate the effects of extension direction on the strain partitioning and deformation transfer during indentation. The modelling results show that extension parallel to the strike-slip margin of the indenter creates subsidence distributed in several areas which may connect to form a large sedimentary basin behind the indenter. This transtensional basin with v-shape geometry narrows gradually towards the strike-slip margin of the indenter. In contrast, models with extension perpendicular to the strike-slip margin distributes transtensional deformation away from the indenter. Our results are in good correlation with the evolution of the Carpatho-Balkanides orocline of South-Eastern Europe, where the Circum-Moesian Fault System accommodates oroclinal bending during indentation against the Moesian Platform. In this area, the modelling explains the coeval and contrasting extensional features observed along the strike-slip margin and behind the indenter (i.e. the Getic Depression and the Morava Valley Corridor), driven by the roll-back of the Carpathian embayment and Adriatic slabs.
... The resulting maps are presented in Figure 9-12 showing various aspects of the geomorphometric parameters in the relief of Jordan with expla-nations presented in the Results section. Based on the results, a strong relationship between the structural geologic setting and terrain complexity (roughness, steepness, and curvature) was evident, thus providing a strong quantitative correlation performed by using the script-Fault presents a particular landform of Jordan with a clear asymmetry in structure and a riftlike morphology along its southern part (Smit et al., 2010). The geomorphology of the Dead Sea Fault region mirrors the variability of land elevations at both global and regional scales. ...
In this research, an integrated framework on the big Earth data analysis has been developed in the context of the geomorphology of Jordan. The research explores the correlation between several thematic datasets, including machine learning and multidisciplinary geospatial data. GIS mapping is widely used in geological mapping as the most adequate technical tool for data visualization and analysis. GIS applications encourage geological prospective modeling by visualizing data aimed at the prognosis of mineral resources. However, automatization using machine learning for big Earth data processing provides the speed and accurate processing of multisource massive datasets. This is enabled by the application of scripting and programming in cartographic techniques. This study presents the combined machine learning methods of cartographic analysis and big Earth data modeling. The objective is to analyze a correlation between the factors affecting the geomorphological shape of Jordan with respects to the Dead Sea Fault and geological evolution. The technical methodology includes the following three independent tools: 1) Generic Mapping Tools (GMT); 2) Selected libraries of R programming language; 3) QGIS. Specifically, the GMT scripting program was used for topographic, seismic and geophysical mapping, while QGIS was used for geologic mapping and R language for geomorphometric modeling. Accordingly, the workflow is logically structured through these three technical tools, representing different cartographic approaches for data processing. Data and materials include multisource datasets of the various resolution, spatial extent, origin and formats. The results presented cartographic layouts of qualitative and quantitative maps with statistical summaries (histograms). The novelty of this approach is explained by the need to close a technical gap between the traditional GIS and scripting mapping, which is wider for big data mapping and where the crucial factors are speed and precision of data handling, as well as effective visualization achieved by the machine graphics. The paper analyzes the underlying geologic processes affecting the formation of geomorphological landforms in Jordan with a 3D visualization of the selected fragment of the Dead Sea Fault zone. The research presents an extended description in methodology, including the explanations of code snippets from the GMT modules and examples of the use of R libraries 'raster' and 'tmap'. The results revealed strong correlation between the geological and geophysical settings which affect geomorphologi-cal patterns. Integrated study of the geomorphology of Jordan was based on multisource datasets processed by scripting. A thorough analysis presented regional correlations between the geomorphological, geological and tectonic settings in Jordan. The paper contributed both to the development of cartographic engineering by introducing scripting techniques and to the regional studies of Jordan including the Dead Sea Fault as a special region of Jordan. The results include 12 new thematic maps including a 3D model.
