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A New Approach to Constrain the Seismic Origin for Prehistoric Turbidites as Applied to the Dead Sea Basin
Author(s) -
Lu Yin,
Moernaut Jasper,
Bookman Revital,
Waldmann Nicolas,
Wetzler Nadav,
Ag Amotz,
Marco Shmuel,
Alsop G. Ian,
Strasser Michael,
HubertFerrari Aurélia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl090947
Subject(s) - turbidite , geology , structural basin , sediment , deposition (geology) , paleontology , prehistory , seismology
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. A historic correlation could thus constrain the seismic intensity required for triggering turbidites. However, historic calibration is not applicable to prehistoric turbidites. In addition, the synchronous deposition of turbidites is difficult to test 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, as recorded in a 457 m‐long core from the Dead Sea center, 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 a previous hypothesis that soft‐sediment deformation in the Dead Sea formed at the sediment‐water interface.