Evolution of the northern Dead Sea Fault Zone in southern Turkey

Abstract

The Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ) is one of the main active tectonic structures in the Mediterranean region. The Amik Basin is located on the northernmost part of DSFZ. Detailed examination of geological and geomorphological evidence observed around the Amik Basin suggests that the northern DSFZ migrated to its present location in the Late Pliocene–Pleistocene. A combination of field evidence and the results from previous studies suggests that the northern DSFZ followed a different route between the Hula Basin and Amik Basin through the Mediterranean Sea until the Late Pliocene. The fault zone extended along the NE–SW-trending Antakya–Samandag Corridor, and a left step-over in the fault zone resulted in subsidence in the Amik Basin during its first phase. As a result of tectonic reorganization in the Late Pliocene–Pleistocene, the DSFZ migrated to its present location. At present, the major strand of the DSFZ extends in N–S direction through the Amik Basin, and as a result, the Amik Basin has been elongating. The NE–SW-trending Antakya–Samandag Corridor contains faults, especially along the southeastern margin, but these are remnants of the pre-Late Pliocene DSFZ. The slip on the DSFZ has been transferred north via the Karasu Fault Zone since the Miocene.