Fine scale fault structure and kinematics in the Zofar basin, Wadi Arava: Reevaluation of high-resolution reflection seismology
Abstract
The Dead Sea Transform is partitioned into two major faults at central Arava: Wadi Arava fault (WAF) in which the main displacement is strike slip, and Zofar fault which is a mostly normal fault with a vertical displacement of hundreds of meters. Previous work from this area shows a single fault zone along WAF, expressed as small scale pressure ridges and inferred from eight high resolution reflection profiles along 10km; all the profiles are perpendicular to the fault (Haberland et al., 2007). These high resolution profiles, together with a fault-zone-waves survey (Haberland et al., 2003) show that there is a narrow fault zone. Re-examining the data by reprocessing and analyzing the subsurface structures in several perspectives show a small scale shortening structure. In the absence of a control crossing profile, a clear reflector is chosen along all profiles for geometrical analysis. The shortening structure is characterized in each profile by three points: the western and eastern extremities, and the maximum. Except for one profile in the central area of the survey, the structure is well developed, with a distinct hinge. That central profile shows a flat reflector with two hinges. Once we highlight these hinges, north-south segmentation in the interpolated hinge profiles emerges, with the central profile at the discontinuity. Both segments follow an azimuth of 014, whilst the connection between them follows 005 or less. The step-over between the inferred segments is 0.3 km. The ratio of half wavelength to amplitude of the structure along the profiles shows a stable value of 1:2.5 except on the profile with suggested fault azimuth change. These subsurface observations underscore a sharp releasing bend in the major fault, here detected for the first time.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.T51C1551M
- Keywords:
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- 8004 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY / Dynamics and mechanics of faulting;
- 8111 TECTONOPHYSICS / Continental tectonics: strike-slip and transform