A discussion on the structure and evolution of the Red Sea and the nature of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Ethiopia rift junction - The shear along the Dead Sea rift
01 Jan 1970-Philosophical transactions - Royal Society. Mathematical, physical and engineering sciences (The Royal Society)-Vol. 267, Iss: 1181, pp 107-130
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that while none of the pre-Tertiary sedimentary or igneous units extend right across the rift, all of them resume a reasonable palaeographical configuration once the east side of the rift is placed 105 km south of its present position.
Abstract: Recent surface and subsurface geological investigations in Israel and Jordan provide new data for the re-examination of Dubertret’s (1932) hypothesis of the left-hand shear along the Dead Sea rift. It is found that while none of the pre-Tertiary sedimentary or igneous rock units extend right across the rift, all of them resume a reasonable palaeographical configuration once the east side of the rift is placed 105 km south of its present position. It is therefore concluded that the 105 km post-Cretaceous, left-hand shear along the Dead Sea rift is well established. The 40 to 45 km offset of Miocene rocks and smaller offsets of younger features indicate an average shear movement rate of 0.4 to 0.6 cm a -1 during the last 7 to 10 Ma. Unfortunately, the 60 km pre-Miocene movement cannot be dated yet. Along the Arava and Gulf of Aqaba and in Lebanon the shear is divided over a wide fault zone within and outside the rift.
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TL;DR: The structure along the Dead Sea transform (rift) is related to the motions of the Sinai and Arabia plates which border it, and to the irregularities of their boundaries as mentioned in this paper, and the structures were formed mainly during the last 40 km of slip, which probably occurred in the Plio-Pleistocene.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe Turkey as one of the most actively deforming regions in the world and has a long history of devastating earthquakes, and the belter understanding of its neotectonic features and active tectonics wou...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarize the evolution of the greater Red Sea-Gulf of Aden rift system, which includes the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden marine basins and their continental margins, and the Afar region.
774 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, a 500 km long segment of the Dead Sea transform (rift) was studied and the authors found that left-slip faults, whose characteristic physiographic features are recognizable along most of the studied segment, bend or are stepped to the left, rhomb-shaped grabens or pull aparts are produced, forming depressions.
468 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used geologic and geophysical data from the western and northern margin of the Arabian plate to support an interpretation of Arabian plate motion that supports an episodic extensional history in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Abstract: Analysis of the geologic and geophysical data from the western and northern margin of the Arabian plate combined with data from the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden leads to an interpretation of Arabian plate motion that supports an episodic extensional history in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Phase 1 extension began in medial to late Eocene and was caused by the NW propagation of the reoriented Central Indian Ridge spreading center. It stretched and thinned continental crust along numerous wrench and normal faults that reactivated preexisting structures. First-phase extension stopped when the Arabian plate terminally sutured to Eurasia in the medial Miocene and halted northward movement of Arabia relative to Africa. The combined African/Arabian plates moved north more slowly, constricting and thickening continental crust in the Bitlis/Zagros sutures while the Red Sea remained technically quiescent and accumulated salt. By the early Pliocene, continued northward movement was accommodated by lateral extrusion of large continental wedges north of the Bitlis/Zagros sutures. This allowed Arabia to move northward faster than Africa and reopen the Red Sea where phase 2 extension was expressed by seafloor spreading. Extension within the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden rift system has been controlled by the interactions and effects of two factors: (1) convergent processes between the north margin of the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate to the north and (2) northwest propagation of extension associated with the medial Eocene reorganization of the Central Indian spreading center.
460 citations
References
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TL;DR: The results of geophysical and oceanographical research on the age and rate of opening of the Red Sea are compared here with the geological and palaeogeographical indications of the component of this movement along the Dead Sea Rift as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: THE fact that quantitative results from unrelated earth sciences confirm and complement each other is a significant success of the continental drift hypothesis. The results of geophysical and oceanographical research on the age and rate of opening of the Red Sea are compared here with the geological and palaeogeographical indications of the component of this movement along the Dead Sea Rift. The interpretation of the geomagnetic anomalies in the median trench of the Red Sea is supposed to show1 that the rate of opening of the Red Sea at latitude 16° is approximately 1 cm yr−1 during the last 3–4 million years. New data on the sinistral movement along the Dead Sea Rift which are presented here show a similar rate of movement of the Arabian block northwards relative to the Israel–Sinai block during the Pliocene–Pleistocene. This movement was preceded by a period of standstill during the Miocene, which may correspond to the pause in the expansion of the mid-ocean ridges 10 million years ago (refs. 2 and 3).
224 citations
01 Jan 1942
TL;DR: The region haute du Liban Sud, de lun a l'Ouest sur le plateau cenomanien cotier and penetre largement a l’Est dans la Bekaa as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: La region etudiee est situee dans les montagnes du Liban, a cheval sur le Liban Sud et la plaine de la Bekaa et s’approche des contreforts de l’Anti-Liban (Fig. 2, p. 256, Fig. 3, p. 260). Cette region fut choisie parce qu’elle s’etend sur un terrain geologiquement fort interessant et parce que le fond topographique venait d’etre leve. Elle couvre la region haute du Liban Sud, de l’un a l’autre bord, deborde un peu a l’Ouest sur le plateau cenomanien cotier et penetre largement a l’Est dans la Bekaa.
Dans la region haute le Cretace inferieur est exceptionnellement developpe et riche en faune et le Jurassique y constitue la longue crete du Djebel Barouk. Dans la Bekaa se trouvent les termes plus eleves de la serie stratigraphique; Cenomanien, Turonien, Senonien et Eocene, de sorte que toute la serie, depuis le Kimmeridgien jusqu’a l’Eocene compris, est representee.
16 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors outline problems relating to the structure and the Cretaceous-Oligocene stratigraphy of the coastal ranges (and intervening basin) bordering the Mediterranean in the Middle East.
Abstract: Outlines problems relating to the structure and the Cretaceous-Oligocene stratigraphy of the coastal ranges (and intervening basin) bordering the Mediterranean in the Middle East. The ranges are blockfaulted massifs characterized by the juxtaposition and superposition of two types of structures--fractures related to deep-seated Jurassic formations and folds associated with Cretaceous strata. Uplift of the massifs subsequent to transgression of the Cretaceous sea is considered to have been caused by extensive subsidence of adjacent blocks now submerged in the Mediterranean.
14 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors brought up to date the known history of the earth's crust in the south-east Levant, and presented a map of the Levant's surface and its history.
Abstract: The object of this article is to bring up to date the known history of the earth's crust in the south-east Levant.
10 citations