@article{MechieAbuAyyashBenAvrahametal.2005,
  author    = {Mechie, James and Abu-Ayyash, Khalil and Ben-Avraham, Zvi and El-Kelani, R. and Mohsen, Amjad and Rumpker, Georg and Saul, J. and Weber, Michael H.},
  title     = {Crustal shear velocity structure across the Dead Sea Transform from two-dimensional modelling of DESERT project explosion seismic data},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {An analysis of the shear (S) waves recorded during the wide-angle reflection/refraction (WRR) experiment as part of the DESERT project crossing the Dead Sea Transform (DST) reveals average crustal S-wave velocities of 3.3-3.5 km s(-1) beneath the WRR profile. Together with average crustal P-wave velocities of 5.8-6.1 km s(-1) from an already published study this provides average crustal Poisson's ratios of 0.26-0.27 (V-p/V-s = 1.76-1.78) below the profile. The top two layers consisting predominantly of sedimentary rocks have S- wave velocities of 1.8-2.7kms(-1) and Poisson's ratios of 0.25-0.31 (V-p/V-s = 1.73-1.91). Beneath these two layers the seismic basement has average S- wave velocities of around 3.6 km s(-1) east of the DST and about 3.7 km s(-1) west of the DST and Poisson's ratios of 0.24-0.25 (V-p/V-s = 1.71-1.73). The lower crust has an average S-wave velocity of about 3.75 km s(-1) and an average Poisson's ratio of around 0.27 (V-p/V-s = 1.78). No Sn phase refracted through the uppermost mantle was observed. The results provide for the first time information from controlled source data on the crustal S-wave velocity structure for the region west of the DST in Israel and Palestine and agree with earlier results for the region east of the DST in the Jordanian highlands. A shear wave splitting study using SKS waves has found evidence for crustal anisotropy beneath the WRR profile while a receiver function study has found evidence for a lower crustal, high S-wave velocity layer east of the DST below the profile. Although no evidence was found in the S-wave data for either feature, the S-wave data are not incompatible with crustal anisotropy being present as the WRR profile only lies 30 degrees off the proposed symmetry axis of the anisotropy where the difference in the two S-wave velocities is still very small. In the case of the lower crustal, high S-wave velocity layer, if the velocity change at the top of this layer comprises a small first-order discontinuity underlain by a 2 km thick transition zone, instead of just a large first-order discontinuity, then both the receiver function data and the WRR data presented here can be satisfied. Finally, the S-wave velocities and Poisson's ratios which have been derived in this study are typical of continental crust and do not require extensional processes to explain them},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MohsenHofstetterBocketal.2005,
  author    = {Mohsen, Amjad and Hofstetter, Rami and Bock, G{\"u}nter and Kind, Rainer and Weber, Michael H. and Wylegalla, Kurt and Rumpker, Georg},
  title     = {A receiver function study across the Dead Sea Transform},
  issn      = {0956-540X},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {We report on a receiver function study of the crust and upper mantle within DESERT, a multidisciplinary geophysical project to study the lithosphere across the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary seismic network was operated on both sides of the DST between 2000 April and 2001 June. The depth of the Moho increases smoothly from about 30 to 34-38 km towards the east across the DST, with significant north-south variations east of the DST. These Moho depth estimates from receiver functions are consistent with results from steep-and wide-angle controlled-source techniques. Steep-angle reflections and receiver functions reveal an additional discontinuity in the lower crust, but only east of the DST. This leads to the conclusion that the internal crustal structure east and west of the DST is different. The P to S converted phases from both discontinuities at 410 and 660 km are delayed by 2 s with respect to the IASP91 global reference model. This would indicate that the transition zone is consistent with the global average, but the upper mantle above 410 km is 3-4 per cent slower than the standard earth model},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MohsenAschMechieetal.2011,
  author    = {Mohsen, Amjad and Asch, G{\"u}nter and Mechie, James and Kind, Rainer and Hofstetter, Rami and Weber, Michael H. and Stiller, M. and Abu-Ayyash, Khalil},
  title     = {Crustal structure of the Dead Sea Basin (DSB) from a receiver function analysis},
  series = {Geophysical journal international},
  volume    = {184},
  journal   = {Geophysical journal international},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Malden},
  issn      = {0956-540X},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1365-246X.2010.04853.x},
  pages     = {463 -- 476},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {The Dead Sea Transform (DST) is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault that accommodates the relative motion between the African and Arabian plates, connecting a region of extension in the Red Sea to the Taurus collision zone in Turkey over a length of about 1100 km. The Dead Sea Basin (DSB) is one of the largest basins along the DST. The DSB is a morphotectonic depression along the DST, divided into a northern and a southern sub-basin, separated by the Lisan salt diapir. We report on a receiver function study of the crust within the multidisciplinary geophysical project, DEad Sea Integrated REsearch (DESIRE), to study the crustal structure of the DSB. A temporary seismic network was operated on both sides of the DSB between 2006 October and 2008 April. The aperture of the network is approximately 60 km in the E-W direction crossing the DSB on the Lisan peninsula and about 100 km in the N-S direction. Analysis of receiver functions from the DESIRE temporary network indicates that Moho depths vary between 30 and 38 km beneath the area. These Moho depth estimates are consistent with results of near-vertical incidence and wide-angle controlled-source techniques. Receiver functions reveal an additional discontinuity in the lower crust, but only in the DSB and west of it. This leads to the conclusion that the internal crustal structure east and west of the DSB is different at the present-day. However, if the 107 km left-lateral movement along the DST is taken into account, then the region beneath the DESIRE array where no lower crustal discontinuity is observed would have lain about 18 Ma ago immediately adjacent to the region under the previous DESERT array west of the DST where no lower crustal discontinuity is recognized.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WeberAbuAyyashAbueladasetal.2004,
  author    = {Weber, Michael H. and Abu-Ayyash, Khalil and Abueladas, Abdel-Rahman and Agnon, Amotz and Al-Amoush, H. and Babeyko, Andrey and Bartov, Yosef and Baumann, M. and Ben-Avraham, Zvi and Bock, G{\"u}nter and Bribach, Jens and El-Kelani, R. and Forster, A. and F{\"o}rster, Hans-J{\"u}rgen and Frieslander, U. and Garfunkel, Zvi and Grunewald, Steffen and Gotze, Hans-J{\"u}rgen and Haak, Volker and Haberland, Christian and Hassouneh, Mohammed and Helwig, S. and Hofstetter, Alfons and Jackel, K. H. and Kesten, Dagmar and Kind, Rainer and Maercklin, Nils and Mechie, James and Mohsen, Amjad and Neubauer, F. M. and Oberh{\"a}nsli, Roland and Qabbani, I. and Ritter, O. and Rumpker, G. and Rybakov, M. and Ryberg, Trond and Scherbaum, Frank and Schmidt, J. and Schulze, A. and Sobolev, Stephan Vladimir and Stiller, M. and Th,},
  title     = {The crustal structure of the Dead Sea Transform},
  year      = {2004},
  abstract  = {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 km under 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},
  language  = {en}
}