scholarly journals Lithostratigraphy and Depositional History of Part of the Midyan Region, Northwestern Saudi Arabia

GeoArabia ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Wyn Hughes ◽  
David J. Grainger ◽  
Abdul-Jaleel Abu-Bshait ◽  
M. Jarad Abdul-Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Arabian Plate ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Lower Miocene ◽  
Sedimentary Succession ◽  
The Dead

ABSTRACT The Midyan region provides a unique opportunity in which to examine exposures of the Upper Cretaceous and Neogene sedimentary succession. Recent investigations have yielded new interpretations of its depositional environments, stratigraphic relationships, and structure. In this paper, all the lithostratigraphic units of the Midyan succession are considered to be informal in advance of an on-going process of formalization. The region is bounded to the north and northeast by mountains of Proterozoic rocks and to the west and south by the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea, respectively. The Wadi Ifal plain occupies most of the eastern half of the region, beneath which is a thick sedimentary succession within the Ifal basin. The oldest sedimentary rocks are the fluviatile Upper Cretaceous Adaffa formation and marine siliciclastics and carbonates of the lower Miocene Tayran group, unconformable on the Proterozoic basement. The Tayran group is unconformably overlain by the deep-marine lower Miocene Burqan formation that, in turn, is overlain by marine mudstones, carbonates, and evaporites of the middle Miocene Maqna group. The poorly exposed middle Miocene Mansiyah and middle to upper Miocene Ghawwas formations consist of marine evaporites and shallow to marginal marine sediments, respectively. The youngest rocks are alluvial sands and gravels of the Pliocene Lisan formation. A complex structural history is due to Red Sea Oligocene-Miocene extension tectonics, and Pliocene-Recent anti-clockwise rotation of the Arabian Plate relative to Africa on the Dead Sea Transform Fault. The Upper Cretaceous succession is a probable pre-rift unit. The Oligocene?-Miocene syn-rift 1 phase of continental extension caused slow subsidence (Tayran group). Syn-rift 2 was an early Miocene phase of rapid subsidence (Burqan formation) whereas syn-rift 3 (early to middle Miocene) was another phase of slow deposition (Maqna group). The middle to late Miocene syn-rift 4 phase coincided with the deposition of the Mansiyah and Ghawwas formations. The Lower Pliocene to Recent succession is related to the drift (post-rift) phase during which about 45 kilometers of sinistral movement occurred on the Dead Sea Fault. The structural control on sedimentation is evident: the Ifal basin was formed by east-west lithospheric extension; pull-apart basins occur along major left-lateral faults on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba; and basin-bounding faults controlled deposition of the Burqan, Ghawwas, and Lisan formations. Pliocene to Recent earth movements may be responsible for activating salt diapirism in the Ifal basin. Extensive Quaternary faulting and regional uplift caused the uplift of coral reefs to at least 6 to 8 meters above sea level.

Bathymetry and uplift rate of the Gulf of Aqaba, Dead Sea Fault.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Ribot ◽  
Yann Klinger ◽  
Edwige Pons-Branchu ◽  
Marthe Lefevre ◽  
Sigurjón Jónsson
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Tectonic Evolution ◽  
Active Faults ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Arabian Plate ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Uplift Rate ◽  
The Dead

<p>Initially described in the late 50’s, the Dead Sea Fault system connects at its southern end to the Red Sea extensive system, through a succession of left-stepping faults. In this region, the left-lateral differential displacement of the Arabian plate with respect to the Sinai micro-plate along the Dead Sea fault results in the formation of a depression corresponding to the Gulf Aqaba. We acquired new bathymetric data in the areas of the Gulf of Aqaba and Strait of Tiran during two marine campaigns (June 2018, September 2019) in order to investigate the location of the active faults, which structure and control the morphology of the area. The high-resolution datasets (10-m posting) allow us to present a new fault map of the gulf and to discuss the seismic potential of the main active faults.</p><p>We also investigated the eastern margin of the Gulf of Aqaba and Tiran island to assess the vertical uplift rate. To do so, we computed high-resolution topographic data and we processed new series of U-Th analyses on corals from the uplifted marine terraces.</p><p>Combining our results with previous studies, we determined the local and the regional uplift in the area of the Gulf of Aqaba and Strait of Tiran.</p><p>Eventually, we discussed the tectonic evolution of the gulf since the last major change of the tectonic regime and we propose a revised tectonic evolution model of the area.</p><p> </p>

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

1970 ◽  
Vol 267 (1181) ◽  
pp. 107-130 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Gulf Of Aden ◽  
Present Position ◽  
East Side ◽  
Movement Rate ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Average Shear ◽  
The Dead

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.

scholarly journals Lithostratigraphy of the Red Sea Region

GeoArabia ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraint Wyn ap Gwilym Hughes ◽  
Robert S. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
Lower Miocene ◽  
The North ◽  
Lithostratigraphic Units ◽  
Marine Carbonates ◽  
Sedimentary Succession ◽  
Proterozoic Basement

ABSTRACT The onshore and offshore Saudi Arabian Red Sea region contains a series of lithostratigraphic units that have not previously been formally defined and described. Based on an intensive study of the succession, a lithostratigraphic scheme is proposed in a lexicon format that integrates biostratigraphic, sedimentological, seismic and field studies from the Midyan Peninsula in the north, to the Jizan Coastal Plain in the south. In view of the economic aspect of the Neogene succession and greater accessibility to Neogene subsurface samples, emphasis has been placed on a revision of the Neogene lithostratigraphy. Resting upon Proterozoic Basement, the sedimentary succession was deposited during the Cretaceous to Pleistocene times. The oldest pre-rift Suqah Group nonconformably overlies the Proterozoic Basement and consists of Upper Cretaceous shales of the Adaffa Formation and Cretaceous to Palaeogene sandstones, shales and thin limestones of the Usfan Formation. A series of volcanics includes the early to middle Oligocene Matiyah Formation and the late Oligocene-early Miocene Jizan Group. The Neogene succession displays a great lithological diversity. The Tayran Group (Al Wajh, Musayr and Yanbu Formations) includes marginal marine siliciclastics of the Al Wajh Formation, and represents the earliest rift-associated sediments deposited during the earliest Miocene. These are conformably overlain by lower Miocene shallow-marine carbonates of the Musayr Formation. In some of the central Red Sea onshore basins, thick lower Miocene submarine evaporites of the Yanbu Formation were deposited under locally restricted conditions and form the third formation of the Tayran Group. Rapid subsidence during the early Miocene caused deposition of deep-marine, planktonic-foraminiferal mudstones and thick submarine fan sandstones of the Burqan Formation. Carbonates, marine mudstones and submarine evaporites of the Maqna Group (Jabal Kibrit and Kial Formations) unconformably overlie the Burqan Formation and were deposited during latest early Miocene to earliest middle Miocene. The Jabal Kibrit Formation consists of an anhydrite-carbonate facies, of which the carbonates form the Wadi Waqb Member. Siliciclastic facies of the Jabal Kibrit Formation are termed the Umm Luj Member. Above the Jabal Kibrit Formation, the Kial Formation is typified by interbedded anhydrites, calcareous siltstones and carbonates, and includes the Sidr, Nakhlah, Yuba, Rayaman and Sabya Members. Within the region, thick evaporites of the Mansiyah Formation were deposited extensively during the middle Miocene, and are overlain by poorly exposed sands, shales and thin anhydrite beds of the middle to upper Miocene Ghawwas Formation. The Lisan Group unconformably overlies the Ghawwas Formation and consists of coarse alluvial sands and gravels of possible Pliocene to Holocene age.

A review of the tectonics of the northern Middle East region

1984 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 577-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. R. Lovelock
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Kinematic Model ◽  
Continental Collision ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Arabian Plate ◽  
Southern Boundary ◽  
The North ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Two Stages

AbstractThe structure of the northern part of the Arabian platform is reviewed in the light of hitherto unpublished exploration data and the presently accepted kinematic model of plate motion in the region. The Palmyra and Sinjar zones share a common history of development involving two stages of rifting, one in the Triassic–Jurassic and the other during late Cretaceous to early Tertiary times. Deformation of the Palmyra zone during the Mio-Pliocene is attributed to north–south compression on the eastern block of the Dead Sea transcurrent system which occurred after continental collision in the north in southeast Turkey. The asymmetry of the Palmyra zone is believed to result from northward underthrusting along the southern boundary facilitated by the presence of shallow Triassic evaporites. An important NW-SE cross-plate shear zone has been identified, which can be traced for 600 km and which controls the course of the River Euphrates over long distances in Syria and Iraq. Transcurrent motion along this zone resulted in the formation of narrow grabens during the late Cretaceous which were compressed during the Mio-Pliocene. To a large extent, present day structures in the region result from compressional reactivation of old lineaments within the Arabian plate by the transcurrent motion of the Dead Sea fault zone and subsequent continental collision.

scholarly journals Seismic structure beneath the Gulf of Aqaba and adjacent areas based on the tomographic inversion of regional earthquake data

Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 965-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami El Khrepy ◽  
Ivan Koulakov ◽  
Nassir Al-Arifi ◽  
Alexey G. Petrunin
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Lateral Displacement ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Seismic Structure ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Tomographic Inversion ◽  
Velocity Anomaly ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Abstract. We present the first 3-D model of seismic P and S velocities in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Gulf of Aqaba and surrounding areas based on the results of passive travel time tomography. The tomographic inversion was performed based on travel time data from ∼ 9000 regional earthquakes provided by the Egyptian National Seismological Network (ENSN), and this was complemented with data from the International Seismological Centre (ISC). The resulting P and S velocity patterns were generally consistent with each other at all depths. Beneath the northern part of the Red Sea, we observed a strong high-velocity anomaly with abrupt limits that coincide with the coastal lines. This finding may indicate the oceanic nature of the crust in the Red Sea, and it does not support the concept of gradual stretching of the continental crust. According to our results, in the middle and lower crust, the seismic anomalies beneath the Gulf of Aqaba seem to delineate a sinistral shift (∼ 100 km) in the opposite flanks of the fault zone, which is consistent with other estimates of the left-lateral displacement in the southern part of the Dead Sea Transform fault. However, no displacement structures were visible in the uppermost lithospheric mantle.

scholarly journals Seismic structure beneath the Gulf of Aqaba and adjacent areas based on the tomographic inversion of regional earthquake data

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami El Khrepy ◽  
Ivan Koulakov ◽  
Nassir Al-Arifi ◽  
Alexey Petrunin
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Lateral Displacement ◽  
Relative Displacement ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Seismic Structure ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Tomographic Inversion ◽  
Seismic Anomalies

Abstract. The Gulf of Aqaba is an elongated basin (~180 x 20 km) with depths reaching 1850 m. It represents the southern segment of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), which is one of the largest transform fault zones in the world. The opening of Gulf of Aqaba is thought to have originated from the relative displacement of the African and Arabian Plates. According to historical and recent earthquake records, it is seismically active. In this study, we present the first 3D model of seismic P and S velocities beneath the Gulf of Aqaba area based on the results of passive travel time tomography. The tomographic inversion was performed based on travel time data from ~9000 regional earthquakes provided by the Egyptian National Seismological Network (ENSN) and the International Seismological Center (ISC). The inversion results are generally consistent for P- and S-velocity patterns at all depths. At all depth intervals in the Red Sea, we observed strong high-velocity anomalies with abrupt limits that coincide with the coastal lines. This finding suggests that the oceanic nature of the crust in the northern Red Sea does not support the concept of gradual stretching of the continental crust. According to our results, in the middle and lower crust, the seismic anomalies seem to delineate a sinistral shift (~100 km) in the opposite flanks of the fault zone that is consistent with other estimates of the left-lateral displacement in the southern part of the DST. However, no displacement structures are visible in the upper-most lithospheric mantle.

scholarly journals Remote Earthquake Triggering along the Dead Sea Fault in Syria following the 1995 Gulf of Aqaba Earthquake (Ms = 7.3)

2000 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Mohamad ◽  
A. N. Darkal ◽  
D. Seber ◽  
E. Sandvol ◽  
F. Gomez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dead Sea ◽  
Gulf Of Aqaba ◽  
Earthquake Triggering ◽  
The Dead

Developing Geomorphologic Tourism in the Valleys of the Eastern Coast of the Dead Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1416
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Kahlil BAZAZO ◽  
Omar Abedalla ALANANZEH
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Topographic Maps ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Comprehensive Planning ◽  
The Dead

The study aims to identify the pattern of geomorphologic tourism in the valleys of the eastern coast of the Dead Sea and the mechanisms for developing this type of tourism. An analysis of space visuals data and topographic maps were utilized to provide a holistic picture of the geomorphologic reality and the spatial relationships between tourism uses and the nature of this area. Relying on geographic information systems and remote sensing software, the study provides a holistic picture that contributes to the identification of the geomorphologic tourism pattern, and the future forecast in the form of spatial space within a holistic integrated approach based on scientific foundations. The study revealed the importance of the area with its great potentials represented in geomorphologic and biological diversity. It contributed to providing a comprehensive spatial database beneficial for decision-makers in adopting a comprehensive planning process for the study area.

Israeli-Jordanian water deal leaves Palestinians dry

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Water Exchange ◽  
Dead Sea ◽  
Palestinian Authority ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Water Sharing ◽  
The North ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Local Water

Subject The implications of the Red Sea-Dead Sea plan. Significance Israel and Jordan on February 26 signed an agreement to facilitate water-sharing and address the depletion of the Dead Sea, which is receding at a rate of about a metre per year. The 900 million dollar World Bank-sponsored 'Seas Canal' deal consists of two main aspects: local water exchange deals, with Jordan providing Israel with desalinated water from Aqaba in exchange for bluewater from the Sea of Galilee in the north; and saltwater transfer from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The Palestinian Authority is not party to the agreement, and awaits a separate deal with Israel. Impacts Prospects for Palestinian-Israeli water negotiations have drastically decreased. Jordan will still need to agree further desalination and cooperation deals in order to meet demand. Water saving efforts will be pushed aside in favour of much more costly desalination. Desalination powered by burning fossil hydrocarbons accelerates global warming.

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