[en] The seismic origin of turbidites is verified either by correlating such layers to historic earthquakes, or by demonstrating their synchronous deposition in widely spaced, isolated depocenters. The historic correlation could thus constrain the seismic intensity required for triggering turbidites. However, the historic calibration is not applicable to prehistoric turbidites. In addition, the synchronous deposition of turbidites is difficult to prove if only one deep core is drilled in a depocenter. Here, we propose a new approach that involves analyzing the underlying in situ deformations of prehistoric turbidites recorded in a 457 m-long core from the Dead Sea center, in order to establish their seismic origin. These in situ deformations have been verified as seismites and could thus authenticate the trigger for each overlying turbidite. Moreover, our high-resolution chemical and sedimentological data validate the previous hypothesis that Dead Sea soft-sediment deformations formed at the sediment-water interface.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Lu, Yin; Université de Liège - ULiège > Géographie > Unité de recherche SPHERE
Moernaut, Jasper
Bookman, Revital
Waldmann, Nicolas
Wetzler, Nadav
Agnon, Amotz
Marco, Shmuel
Alsop, Ian
Strasser, Michael
Hubert, Aurelia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Géomorphologie et Géologie du Quaternaire
Language :
English
Title :
A new approach to constrain the seismic origin for prehistoric turbidites as applied to the Dead Sea Basin
Publication date :
November 2020
Journal title :
Geophysical Research Letters
ISSN :
0094-8276
eISSN :
1944-8007
Publisher :
Wiley, Washington, United States - District of Columbia
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