TY - JOUR A1 - Braeuer, B. A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Hofstetter, Rami A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Jaser, Darweesh A1 - El-Kelani, Radwan J.. A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - Microseismicity distribution in the southern Dead Sea basin and its implications on the structure of the basin JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - While the Dead Sea basin has been studied for a long time, the available knowledge about the detailed seismicity distribution in the area, as well as the deeper structure of the basin, is limited. Therefore, within the framework of the international project DESIRE (DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project), a dense temporary local seismological network was operated in the southern Dead Sea area. We use 530 local earthquakes, having all together 26 730 P- and S-arrival times for a simultaneous inversion of 1-D velocity models, station corrections and precise earthquake locations. Jackknife tests suggest an accuracy of the derived hypocentre locations of about 1 km. Thus, the result is the first clear image of the absolute distribution of the microseismicity of the area, especially in depth. The seismicity is concentrated in the upper crust down to 20 km depth while the lower limit of the seismicity is reached at 31 km depth. The seismic events at the eastern boundary fault (EBF) in the southern part of the study area represent the northward transform motion of the Arabian Plate along the Dead Sea Transform. North of the Boqeq fault the seismic activity represents the transfer of the motion in the pull-apart basin from the eastern to the western boundary. We find that from the surface downward the seismic events are tracing the boundary faults of the basin. The western boundary is mapped down to 12 km depth while the EBF reaches about 17 km depth, forming an asymmetric basin. One fifth of the data set is related to a specific cluster in time and space, which occurred in 2007 February at the western border fault. This cluster is aligned vertically, that is, it is perpendicular to the direction of the dominating left-lateral strike-slip movement at the main transform fault. KW - Seismicity and tectonics KW - Continental tectonics: strike-slip and transform KW - Asia Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2011.05318.x SN - 0956-540X VL - 188 IS - 3 SP - 873 EP - 878 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bräuer, B. A1 - Asch, Günter A1 - Hofstetter, Rami A1 - Haberland, Christian A1 - Jaser, D. A1 - El-Kelani, R. A1 - Weber, Michael H. T1 - High-resolution local earthquake tomography of the southern Dead Sea area JF - Geophysical journal international N2 - Local earthquake data from a dense temporary seismological network in the southern Dead Sea area have been analysed within the project DESIRE (Dead Sea Integrated Research Project). Local earthquakes are used for the first precise image of the distribution of the P-wave velocity and the vP/vS ratios. 65 stations registered 655 local events within 18 months of observation time. A subset of 530 well-locatable events with 26 730 P- and S-arrival times was used to calculate a tomographic model for the vP and vP/vS distribution. Since the study area is at first-order 2-D, a gradual approach was chosen, which compromised a 2-D inversion followed by a 3-D inversion. The sedimentary basin fill is clearly imaged through high vP/vS ratios and low vP. The basin fill shows an asymmetric structure with average depth of 7 km at the western boundary and depth between 10 and 14 km at the eastern boundary. This asymmetry is reflected by the vertical strike-slip eastern border fault, and the normal faulting at the western boundary, caused by the transtensional deformation within the last 5 Myr. Within the basin fill the Lisan salt diapir is imaged through low vP/vS ratios, reflecting its low fluid content. The extensions were determined to 12 km in EW and 17 km in NS direction while its depth is 56 km. The thickness of the pre-basin sediments below the basin fill cannot be derived from the tomography datait is estimated to less than 3 km from former investigations. Below the basin, down to 18 km depth very low P-wave velocities and low vP/vS ratios are observedmost likely caused by fluids from the surrounding crust or the upper mantle. KW - Seismic tomography KW - Continental margins: transform KW - Continental tectonics: strike-slip and transform Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05668.x SN - 0956-540X VL - 191 IS - 3 SP - 881 EP - 897 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER -