We use the S receiver function method to study the lithosphere at
the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary network of 22 seismic broad-band
stations was operated on both sides of the DST from 2000 to 2001
as part of the DESERT project. We also used data from six additional
permanent broad-band seismic stations at the DST and in the surrounding
area, that is, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Cyprus. Clear S-to-P
converted phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and a deeper
discontinuity, which we interpret as lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary
(LAB) have been observed. The Moho depth (30-38 km) obtained from
S receiver functions agrees well with the results from P receiver
functions and other geophysical data. We observe thinning of the
lithosphere on the eastern side of the DST from 80 km in the north
of the Dead Sea to about 65 km at the Gulf of Aqaba. On the western
side of the DST, the few data indicate a thin LAB of about 65 km.
For comparison, we found a 90-km-thick lithosphere in eastern Turkey
and a 160-km-thick lithosphere under the Arabian shield, respectively.
These observations support previous suggestions, based on xenolith
data, heat flow observations, regional uplift history and geodynamic
modelling, that the lithosphere around DST has been significantly
thinned in the Late Cenozoic, likely following rifting and spreading
of the Red Sea.
%0 Journal Article
%1 mohsen_etal:2006
%A Mohsen, Ayman
%A Kind, Rainer
%A Sobolev, Stephan V.
%A Weber, Michael
%A DESERT Group,
%C GeoForschungsZentrum, 14473 Potsdam, Germany. E-mail: ayman@gfz-potsdam.de;
Al-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; Freie Universitt,
Berlin, Germany; Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, Russia;
Universitt Potsdam, Germany
%D 2006
%I Blackwell Publishing
%J Geophysical Journal International
%K geophysics seismology
%N 2
%P 845--852
%R 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x
%T Thickness of the lithosphere east of the Dead Sea Transform
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x
%V 167
%X We use the S receiver function method to study the lithosphere at
the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary network of 22 seismic broad-band
stations was operated on both sides of the DST from 2000 to 2001
as part of the DESERT project. We also used data from six additional
permanent broad-band seismic stations at the DST and in the surrounding
area, that is, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Cyprus. Clear S-to-P
converted phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and a deeper
discontinuity, which we interpret as lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary
(LAB) have been observed. The Moho depth (30-38 km) obtained from
S receiver functions agrees well with the results from P receiver
functions and other geophysical data. We observe thinning of the
lithosphere on the eastern side of the DST from 80 km in the north
of the Dead Sea to about 65 km at the Gulf of Aqaba. On the western
side of the DST, the few data indicate a thin LAB of about 65 km.
For comparison, we found a 90-km-thick lithosphere in eastern Turkey
and a 160-km-thick lithosphere under the Arabian shield, respectively.
These observations support previous suggestions, based on xenolith
data, heat flow observations, regional uplift history and geodynamic
modelling, that the lithosphere around DST has been significantly
thinned in the Late Cenozoic, likely following rifting and spreading
of the Red Sea.
@article{mohsen_etal:2006,
abstract = {We use the S receiver function method to study the lithosphere at
the Dead Sea Transform (DST). A temporary network of 22 seismic broad-band
stations was operated on both sides of the DST from 2000 to 2001
as part of the DESERT project. We also used data from six additional
permanent broad-band seismic stations at the DST and in the surrounding
area, that is, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Cyprus. Clear S-to-P
converted phases from the crust-mantle boundary (Moho) and a deeper
discontinuity, which we interpret as lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary
(LAB) have been observed. The Moho depth (30-38 km) obtained from
S receiver functions agrees well with the results from P receiver
functions and other geophysical data. We observe thinning of the
lithosphere on the eastern side of the DST from 80 km in the north
of the Dead Sea to about 65 km at the Gulf of Aqaba. On the western
side of the DST, the few data indicate a thin LAB of about 65 km.
For comparison, we found a 90-km-thick lithosphere in eastern Turkey
and a 160-km-thick lithosphere under the Arabian shield, respectively.
These observations support previous suggestions, based on xenolith
data, heat flow observations, regional uplift history and geodynamic
modelling, that the lithosphere around DST has been significantly
thinned in the Late Cenozoic, likely following rifting and spreading
of the Red Sea.},
added-at = {2012-09-01T13:08:21.000+0200},
address = {GeoForschungsZentrum, 14473 Potsdam, Germany. E-mail: ayman@gfz-potsdam.de;
Al-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; Freie Universitt,
Berlin, Germany; Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, Russia;
Universitt Potsdam, Germany},
author = {Mohsen, Ayman and Kind, Rainer and Sobolev, Stephan V. and Weber, Michael and {DESERT Group}},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/270d4310a06ef2238f177ac716906006e/nilsma},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x},
interhash = {2016a11c3535e81e7d073e1cc417c8e8},
intrahash = {70d4310a06ef2238f177ac716906006e},
issn = {1365-246X},
journal = {Geophysical Journal International},
keywords = {geophysics seismology},
month = nov,
number = 2,
pages = {845--852},
publisher = {Blackwell Publishing},
timestamp = {2021-02-09T13:25:23.000+0100},
title = {Thickness of the lithosphere east of the Dead Sea Transform},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03185.x},
volume = 167,
year = 2006
}