Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Investigations into the Holocene geology of the Dead Sea basin

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Carbonates and Evaporites Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper discusses the geological history and paleoclimate of the Dead Sea region based on drill hole data. A composite stratigraphic column for the Holocene period, of multiple lime carbonate and halite sedimentation, has been constructed for the southern Dead Sea basin. Integration of stratigraphic data with geochronology has shed new light on our understanding of Holocene sedimentation rates, tectonics, diapirism, the formation of sinkholes, lake levels, and paleoclimate. During this period, the southern basin has subsided at a rate of 8.5–11 m/ka, while the subsidence of the northern basin may have reached 25–30 m/ka. The Holocene has been divided into 13 major climatic intervals, starting with a very arid climate from ~ 11,700 to ~ 8800 BP, where halite precipitated in both basins, with the Dead Sea possibly reaching a level of ~ − 419 m msl. After ~ 8800 BP, there was a very intense pluviatile period, with the formation of alluvial fans opposite wadi channels reaching up to 45 m in thickness. An attempt has been made to construct a new Dead Sea-level curve, based on the mineralogical data and corrected for diapirism under the Lynch Straits and tectonic subsidence. The previous lake-level curves were based on elevations of shore-line facies in a tectonically active basin with differential subsidence. A new hypothesis is presented for sinkhole formation in both the northern and southern basins, which is considered to be initiated and controlled by active faulting, with the dissolution of the halite by artesian, undersaturated waters, more than the receding Dead Sea level. The brine level is rising in the southern basin. The findings from this research can act as a model for understanding the development of ancient and modern evaporites worldwide.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

After Masson et al. (2015)

Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

modified from Gardosh et al. (1997)

Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

(data from Migowski et al. 2004)

Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abelson M, Baer G, Shtivelman V, Wachs D, Raz E, Crouvi O, Kurzon I, Yechieli Y (2003) Collapse-sinkholes and radar interferometry reveal neotectonics concealed within the Dead Sea basin. Geophys Res Lett 30(10):1545–1548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alsop GI, Weinberger R, Levi T, Marco S (2016) Cycles of passive versus active diapirism recorded along an exposed salt wall. J Struct Geol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2016.01.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barkan E, Luz B, Lazar B (2001) Dynamics of the carbon dioxide system in the Dead Sea. Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 65:355–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartov Y, Stein M, Enzel Y, Agnon A, Reches Z (2002) Lake Levels and sequence stratigraphy of Lake Lisan, the late Pleistocene precursor of the Dead Sea. Quat Res 57:9–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben Avraham Z, Garfunkel M, Lazar M (2008) Geology and evolution of the southern Dead Sea fault with emphasis on sub surface structure. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 36:357–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bookman (Ken-Tor) R, Enzel Y, Agnon A, Stein M (2004) Late Holocene levels of the Dead Sea. Geol Soc Am Bull 116(5/6):555–571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bookman R, Bartov Y, Enzel Y, Stein M (2006) Quaternary lake levels in the Dead Sea Basin: two centuries of research. In: Enzel Y, Agnon A, Stein M (eds) New frontiers in Dead Sea paleoenvironmental research. Geological Society of America special. Paper 401, Boulder, pp 155–170

  • Bookman R, Lopez-Merino L, Belmaker R, Eshel A, Epshtein V, Leroy S (2017) Using palynology to re-assess the Dead Sea laminated sediments—indeed varves? Geophys Res Abstr 19

  • Bruner I, Charrach J (2003) High resolution seismic reflection survey from pumping station P5 along dike 5/8. Dead Sea Works—Geophysical Institute of Israel report, 401/317/03

  • Bruner I, Charrach J, Medvedev B (2003) High resolution seismic reflection survey along dike 5/8, Dead Sea works—ecolog report, 320/336/03

  • Calvo R, Bartov Y (2001) Hazeva Group, southern Israel: new observations, and their implications for its stratigraphy, paleogeography, and tectono-sedimentary regime. Isr J Earth Sci 50:71–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casas E, Lowenstein TK (1989) Diagenesis of saline pan halite: comparison of petrographic features of modern, quaternary and Permian halites. J Sediment Petrol 59(5):724–739

    Google Scholar 

  • Charrach J (2006a) A re-evaluation of the Mount Sdom evaporite sequence. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Beit Shean, abstract, pp 19–20

  • Charrach J (2006b) Holocene stratigraphy of the southern Dead Sea basin—paleoclimatic and tectonic implications. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Beit Shean, abstract, p 21

  • Charrach J (2011) Sinkholes in the Dead Sea basin—a synthesis of our knowledge. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Mitpe Ramon, abstract, p 53

  • Charrach J (2018) The Sdom evaporite formation in Israel and its relationship with the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Carbon Evaporite. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-017-0410-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charrach J, Schorr M, Weintraub E (1990) Corrosion and scaling behavior in Dead Sea Basin Saline Waters. Corros Rev 9(3–4):293–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Charrach J, Goretsky I, Frydman S (2007) Geotechnical studies of soils from an evaporate environment in Israel. In: Proceedings: 5th international congress on environmental geotechnics, Cardiff, Wales (Thomas Telford, London), vol 1, pp 407–414

  • Closson D (2005) Structural control of sinkholes and subsidence hazards along the Jordanian Dead Sea coast. Environ Geol 47:290–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enzel Y, Kadan G, Eyal Y (2000) Holocene earthquakes inferred from the fan-delta sequences in the Dead Sea graben. Quat Res 53:34–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enzel Y, Bookman (Ken Tor) R, Sharon D, Gvirtzman H, Dayan U, Liv B, Stein M (2003) Late Holocene climates of the near east deduced from Dead Sea level variations and modern regional winter rainfall. Quat Res 60:263–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairbanks RG (1989) A 17,000 year glacio-eustatic sea level record—influence of glacial melting rates on the young Dryas event and deep ocean circulation. Nature 342(6250):637–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A (1996a) Uplift rate relative to base-level of a salt diapir (Dead Sea basin, Israel) as indicated by cave levels. In: Alsop GI, Blundell DJ, Davidson I (eds) Salt tectonics, vol 100. Geological Society of America Publication, Charlottesville, pp 41–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A (1996b) Uplift rate relative to base-levels of a salt diapir (Dead Sea Basin, Israel) as indicated by cave levels. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 100:41–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A (1997) The Holocene history of the Dead Sea levels. In: Niemi TM, Ben Avraham Z, Gat J (eds) The Dead Sea—the lake and its settings. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 237–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A, Elitzur Y (2002) Historic Dead Sea levels calibrated with geological and archeological evidence. Quat Res 57:334–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A, Carmi I, Zak I, Magaritz M (1991) The Holocene climatic record of the salt caves of Mt. Sedom, Israel. Holocene 1(3):191–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin A, Kadan G, Enzel Y, Eyal Y (2001) Radiocarbon chronology of the Holocene Dead Sea: attempting a regional correlation. Radiocarbon 43(2C):1179–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frydman S, Charrach J, Goretsky I (2008) Geotechnical properties of evaporite soils of the Dead Sea. Eng Geol 101:236–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frydman S, Charrach J, Goretsky I (2014) A geotechnical study of evaporitic, lacustrine sediments in the saline environment of the Dead Sea area. Eng Geol 181:309–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardosh M, Kashia E, Salhov S, Shulman H, Tannenbaum E (1997) Hydrocarbon exploration in the southern Dead Sea area. In: Niemi TM, Ben Avraham Z, Gat J (eds) The Dead Sea—the lake and its settings. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 57–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardosh M, Druckman Y, Buchbinder B, Rybakov M (2008) The Levant Basin offshore Israel: stratigraphy, structure, tectonic evolution and implications for hydrocarbon exploration. Geological Survey of Israel, GSI/4/2008

  • Garfunkel Z (2014) Lateral motion and deformation along the Dead Sea transform. In: Garfunkel Z, Ben Avraham Z, Kagan E (eds) Modern approaches in solid earth sciences, vol 6: Dead Sea transform fault system: reviews. Springer, Berlin, pp 109–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Garfunkel Z, Ben Avraham Z (2001) Basins along the Dead Sea transform. In: Ziegler PA, Cavazza W, Robertson AHF, Crasquin-Soleau S (eds) Peri-Tethis Memoir 6: Peri-Tethian Rift/Wrench Basins and Passive Margins, vol 186. Museum National d’Historie Naturelle, Paris, pp 607–627

  • Gavrieli I (1997) Halite deposition in the Dead Sea 1960–1993. In: Niemi TM, Ben Avraham Z, Gat J (eds) The Dead Sea—the lake and its settings. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 161–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavrieli I, Yechieli Y, Halicz L, Spiro B, Bein A, Efron D (2001) The sulfur system in anoxic subsurface brines and its implication in brine evolutionary pathways: the Ca-chloride brines in the Dead Sea area. Earth Planet Sci Lett 186:199–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ginzburg A, Ben Avraham Z (1997) The deep structure of the north basin of the Dead Sea, Israel. Geophys Res Lett 24:2063–2066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenbaum N, Ben Zvi A, Haviv I, Enzel Y (2006) The hydrology and paleohydrology of the Dead Sea tributaries. In: Enzel Y, Agnon A, Stein M (eds) New frontiers in Dead Sea paleoenvironmental research. Geological Society of America Special Paper 401, Boulder, pp 63–93

  • Gvirtzman Z, Peleg N (2006) The potential for amplification in the soils of the Zevulun Basin. Part 2. Geological sections and major faults. Geological survey of Israel report, GSI/11/06

  • Haase-Schramm A, Goldstein SL, Stein M (2004) U–Th dating of Lake Lisan (late Pleistocene Dead Sea) aragonite and implications for glacial East Mediterranean climate change. Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 68:985–1005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haliva-Cohen A, Stein M, Goldstein SL, Sandler A, Starinsky A (2012) Sources and transport routes of fine detritus material to the late Quaternary Dead Sea basin. Quat Sci Rev 49:55–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanford CR (1991) Marginal marine halite: sabhas and salinas. In: Melvin JL (ed) Developments in sedimentology, vol 50. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 1–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardie LA (1990) The role of rifting and hydrothermal CaCl2 brines in the origin of potash evaporites: an hypothesis. Am J Sci 290:43–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heim C, Leroy S, Ben Avraham Z, Novaczyk N, Negendank JKW (1997) Near east desertification—evidence from the Dead Sea. Naturwissenschaften 84:398–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • INOC—Israel National Oil Company (1992) Mor-1 recommendations for drilling. Israel National Oil Company report

  • Ionescu D, Siebert C, Polerecky L, Munwas YY, Lott C, Hausler S, Bizic Ionescu M, Quast C, Peplies J, Glockner FO, Ramette A, Rodiger T, Dittmar T, Oren A, Geyer S, Stark H-J, Sauter M, Licha T, Laronne J, De Beer D (2012) Microbiological and chemical characterization of underwater fresh water springs in the Dead Sea. PLoS One 7(6):e38319. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone0038319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kadan G (1997) Evidence of Dead Sea level fluctuations and neotectonics events in the Holocene fan-delta of Nahal Darga. M.Sc. thesis (in Hebrew, English abstract), Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva

  • Kagan E, Stein M, Agnon A, Nuemann F (2011) Intrabasin paleoearthquake and quiescence correlation of the late Holocene Dead Sea. J Geophys Res 116:B04311. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JB007452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagan EJ, Langgut D, Boaretto E, Neumann FH, Stein M (2015) Dead Sea levels during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Radiocarbon 57(2):237–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ken-Tor R, Stein M, Enzel Y, Agnon A, Marco S, Negendank JFW (2001) Precision calibrated radiocarbon ages of historic earthquakes in the Dead Sea basin. Radiocarbon 43:1371–1382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiro Y, Goldstein SL, Lazar B, Stein M (2015) Environmental implications of salt facies in the Dead Sea. Geol Soc Am Bull. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31357.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klinger Y, Avouac JP, Bourles D, Tisnerat N (2003) Alluvial deposition and lake-level fluctuations forced by late quaternary climate change: the Dead Sea case example. Sediment Geol 162:119–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kottmeier C, Agnon A, Al-Halbouni D, Alpert P, Corsmeier U, Dahm T, Eshel A, Geyer S, Haas M, Holohan E, Kalthoff N, Kishcha P, Krawczyk C, Lati J, Laronne J, Lott F, Mallast U, Merz R, Metzger J, Mohsen A, Morin E, Nied M, Rodiger T, Salameh E, Sawarieh A, Shannak B, Siebert C, Weber M (2016) New perspectives on interdisciplinary earthy science in the Dead Sea: the DESERVE project. Sci Total Environ 544:1045–1058

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krijgsman W, Meijer PTh (2008) Depositional environments of the Mediterranean “Lower Evaporites” of the Messinian salinity crisis: constraints from quantitative analysis. Mar Geol 253:73–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krijgsman W, Stoica M, Vasiliev I, Popov VV (2010) Rise and fall of the Paratethys Sea during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Earth Planet Sci Lett 290:183–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krumgalz BS, Hecht A, Starinsky A, Katz A (2000) Thermodynamic constraints on Dead Sea evaporation: can the Dead Sea dry up? Chem Geol 165(1–2):1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kushnir Y, Stein M (2010) North Atlantic influence on 19th–20th century rainfall in the Dead Sea watershed, teleconnections with the Sahal, and implication for Holocene climate fluctuations. Quat Sci Rev 29:3843–3860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lensky NG, Calvo R, Sade AR, Gavrieli I, Katz O, Hall JK, Enzel Y, Mushkin A (2014) The scarred slopes of the Dead Sea—evidence for intensive subsea land sliding. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Dead Sea, abstract

  • Lerner A (1967) Model of chemical evolution of a chloride lake—the Dead Sea. Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 31:2309–2330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lisker S, Vaks A, Bar-Mattews M, Porat R, Frumkin A (2009) Stromatolites in caves of the Dead Sea Fault Escarpment: implications to latest Pleistocene lake levels and tectonic subsidence. Quat Sci Rev 28:80–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Merino L, Leroy SAG, Eshel A, Epshtein V, Belmaker R, Bookman R (2016) Using palynology to re-assess the Dead Sea laminated sediments—indeed varves? Quat Sci Rev 140:49–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marco S, Klinger Y (2014) Review of on-fault palaeoseismic studies along the Dead Sea fault. In: Garfunkel Z, Ben Avraham Z, Kagan E (eds) Modern approaches in solid earth sciences, vol 6: Dead Sea transform fault system: reviews. Springer, Berlin, pp 183–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Masson F, Hamiel Y, Agnon A, Klinger Y, Deprez A (2015) Variable behavior of the Dead Sea fault along the southern Arava segment from GPS measurements. C R Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2014.11.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matmon A, Fink D, Davis M, Niederman S, Rood D, Frumkin A (2014) Unravelling rift margin evolution and escarpment development ages along the Dead Sea fault using cosmogenic burial ages. Quat Res 82:281–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Migowski C, Agnon A, Bookman R, Negendank JFW, Stein M (2004) Recurrence pattern of Holocene earthquakes along the Dead Sea transform revealed by varve-counting and radiocarbon dating of lacustrine sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 222:301–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Migowski C, Stein M, Prasad S, Negendank JFW, Agnon A (2006) Holocene climate variability and cultural evolution in the Near East from the Dead Sea sedimentary record. Quat Res 66:421–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neev D, Emery KO (1967) The Dead Sea, depositional processes and environments of evaporites. Geol Surv Isr Bull 41:1–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Neev D, Hall JK (1979) Geophysical investigations in the Dead Sea. Sediment Geol 23:209–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neugebauer I (2015) Reconstructing climate from the Dead Sea sediment record using high-resolution micro-facies analyses. University of Potsdam, Ph.D. thesis

  • Neugebauer I, Brauer A, Schwab MJ, Waldmann ND, Enzel Y, Kitagawa H, Torfstein A, Frank U, Dulski P, Agnon A, Ariztegui D, Ben-Avraham Z, Goldstein SL, Stein M, DSDDP Scientific Party (2014) Lithology of the long sediment record recovered by the ICDP Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP). Quat Sci Rev 102:149–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raup O (1970) Brine mixing: an additional mechanism for formation of basin evaporites. Bull Am Assoc Pet Geol 54(12):2246–2259

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer PJ, Baillie MGL, Bard E, Bayliss A, Beck JW, Bertrand CJH, Blackwell PG, Buck CE, Burr GS, Cutler KB, Damon PE, Edwards RL, Fairbanks RG, Friedrich M, Guilderson TP, Hogg AG, Hughen KA, Kromer B, McCormac G, Manning S, Ramsey CB, Reimer RW, Remmele S, Southon JR, Stuiver M, Talamo S, Taylor FW, van der Plicht J, Weyhenmeye CE (2004) INCAL04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 0-26 CAL KYR BP. Radiocarbon 46(3):1029–1058

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rouchy J-M, Caruso A (2006) The Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean basin: a reassessment of the data and an integrated scenario. Sediment Geol 188–189:35–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roveri M, Lugli S, Manzi V, Schreiber BC (2008) The Messinian Sicilian stratigraphy revisited: new insights for the Messinian salinity crisis. Terra Nova 20:483–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roveri M, Flecker R, Krijgsman W, Lofi J, Lugli S, Manzi V, Sierro FJ, Bertini A, Camerlenghi A, De Lange G, Govers R, Hilgen FJ, Hubscher C, Meijer PT, Stocia M (2014) The Messinian Salinity Crisis: past and future of a great challenge for marine sciences. Mar Geol 352:25–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozenbaum AG, Shaked-Gelband D, Zilberman E, Sandler A, Stein M, Starinski A (2016) Depositional environment of the Bira and Gesher formations of the lower Galilee and Jordan Valley during the Tortonian–Zanclean ages. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Abstract, p 171

  • Sagy Y, Gvirtzman Z (2009) Subsurface mapping of the Zevulun Valley. The Geophysical Institute of Israel, Report 648/454/09 (Hebrew)

  • Sandler A, Rozenbaum AG, Zilberman E, Stein M, Jicha BR, Singer BS (2015) Updated 40Ar–39Ar chronology for top lower basalt, base cover basalt, and related units, Northern Valleys, Israel. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Kinneret, abstract, p 124

  • Shaliv G (1991) Stages in the tectonic and volcanic history of the Neogene basin in the Lower Galilee and the valleys, Geological Survey of Israel report, GSI/11/91

  • Shimoni M, Hanssen RF, Van Der Meer F, Kampes BM, Ben-Dor E (2002) Salt diapir movements using SAR interferometry in the Lisan Peninsula, Dead Sea rift. In: Proceedings of SPIE—the international society for optical engineering, vol 4543, no B9, pp 151–160

  • Siebert C, Rodiger T, Geyer S, Laronne JB, Hillel N, Sauter M, Mallast U (2016) Multidisciplinary investigations of the transboundary Dead Sea basin and its water resources. In: Borchardt D et al (eds) Integrated water resources management: concept, research and implementation. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25071-7-5

  • Sneed M, Galloway DL, Cunningham WL (2003) Earthquakes—rattling the earth’s plumbing system. USGS Fact Sheet 096–03

  • Sneh A (1993) Stratigraphic position of marine Pliocene deposits in the Lower Galilee and the Yizre’el Valley. Geol Surv Isr Curr Res 8:74–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnenfeld P (1984) Brines and evaporites. Academic Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein M (2014) The evolution of Neogene-Quaternary water-bodies in the dead sea rift valley. In: Garfunkel Z, Ben Avraham Z, Kagan E (eds) Modern approaches in solid earth sciences, vol 6: Dead Sea transform fault system: reviews. Springer, Berlin, pp 279–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein M, Starinsky A, Agnon A, Katz A, Raab M, Zak I (2000) The impact of brine–rock interaction during marine evaporite formation on the isotope Sr record in the oceans: evidence from Mt. Sedom, Israel. Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 64(12):2039–2053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein M, Torfstein A, Gavrieli I, Yechieli Y (2010) Abrupt aridities and salt deposition in the post-glacial Dead Sea and their North Atlantic connection. Quat Sci Rev 29:567–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinitz G, Bartov Y (1991) The Miocene–Pleistocene history of the Dead Sea segment of the rift in light of K–Ar of basalts. Isr J Earth Sci 40:199–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Polach HA (1977) Discussion reporting 14C data. Radiocarbon 19(3):255–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tannenbaum E, Charrach J (1993) Oil shows and their implications to the age of the potential source rock. Geological society of Israel annual meeting, Arad, abstract, p 132

  • Torfstein A, Haase-Schramm A, Waldmann N, Kolodny Y, Stein M (2009) U-series and oxygen isotope chronology of the mid-Pleistocene Lake Amora (Dead Sea basin). Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 73:2603–2630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torfstein A, Goldstein SL, Kushnir Y, Enzel Y, Haug G, Stein M (2015a) Dead Sea drawdown and monsoonal impacts in the Levant during the last interglacial. Earth Planet Sci Lett 412:235–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torfstein A, Goldstein SL, Kushnir Y, Enzel Y, Haug G, Stein M (2015b) Response to comment on “Dead Sea drawdown and monsoonal impacts in the Levant during the last interglacial. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 412, 235–244”. Earth Planet Sci Lett 427:306–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldmann N, Stein M, Ariztegui D, Starinsky A (2009) Stratigraphy, depositional environments and level construction of the last interglacial Lake Samra in the Dead Sea basin. Quat Res 72:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren JK (2006) Evaporites: sediments, resources and hydrocarbons. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger R, Begin ZB, Waldman N, Gardosh M, Baer G, Frumkin A, Wdowinski S (2006) Quaternary Rise of the Sedom diapir, Dead Sea Basin. In: Enzel Y, Agnon A, Stein M (eds) New frontiers in Dead Sea paleoenvironmental research. Geological Society of America special paper, vol 401, pp 33–51

  • Wells DL, Coppersmith KJ (1994) New empirical relationships among magnitude, rupture length, rupture width, rupture area, and surface displacement. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84:74–1002

    Google Scholar 

  • Yechieli Y, Magaritz M, Levy Y, Weber U, Kafri U, Woelfli W, Bonani G (1993) Late Quaternary geological history of the Dead Sea area, Israel. Quat Res 39:29–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yechieli Y, Abelson A, Bein A (2003) Main findings from boreholes drilled as a part of the sinkhole project in the Dead Sea coastal area, first summary (in Hebrew). Geological survey of Israel report, GSI/17/2003

  • Yechieli Y, Abelson M, Bein A, Crouvi O, Shtivelman V (2006) Sinkhole “swarms” along the Dead Sea coast: reflection of disturbance of lake and adjacent groundwater systems. Geol Soc Am Bull 118:1075–1087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zak I (1967) The geology of Mount Sedom (Ph.D. thesis): Jerusalem, The Hebrew University

Download references

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are due to Chief Civil Engineer, Semion Kogan, of the Dead Sea Works Ltd., for his continual support and understanding that geology is the basis for sound engineering practices for construction, in such a demanding location. I would like to thank Prof. Sam Frydman for critically reviewing this paper and for providing constructive comments that greatly improved this paper.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Josef Charrach

    Present address: , POB 14, 8502500, Meitar, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. Josef Charrach
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Josef Charrach.

    Appendices

    Appendix A

    See Table 2.

    Table 2 Carbon 14 dates from samples taken from drill core in the southern basin of the Dead Sea
    Full size table

    Appendix B

    See Table 3.

    Table 3 Holocene composite stratigraphic column for the southern Dead Sea basin (where the unit has been divided, then sub units have been logged)
    Full size table

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

    Cite this article

    Charrach, J. Investigations into the Holocene geology of the Dead Sea basin. Carbonates Evaporites 34, 1415–1442 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-018-0454-x

    Download citation

    • Accepted:

    • Published:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-018-0454-x

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation