Abstract
It goes without saying that planet Earth is dynamic -- the actual
shape of the Earth's outer shell is continuously being formed and
changed through processes of plate tectonics. Three key elements
in the deformation and movement of these massive plates are plate
rifting, plate subduction in the Earth's mantle, and horizontal transform
faulting. Despite numerous investigations at different fault zones
such as the San Andreas Fault Zone in California (SAF), essential
processes controlling such large transforms could not yet be fully
understood. The Dead Sea Transform is, alongside the SAF, a key location
for the study of transform faulting. The apparently simple structure
of the DST system and the relatively low movement rate of approx.
0.5 cm per year distinguishes the DST significantly from the SAF
which moves at a rate of 3.5 cm per year due to the complicated interaction
of oceanic plate movement. Apart from the necessity for basic research,
a further important reason for our study is that the investigation
of historical earthquakes, paleoseismic studies and instrumental
seismology over the past 100 years have shown that a number of destructive
earthquakes have occurred along the DST. The DST, thus, represents
a significant seismic risk for the inhabitants of Palestine, Israel
and Jordan. Due to the political situation in the Middle East in
recent years, an investigation of the DST has not been possible up
to now. The Dead Sea Rift Transect (DESERT) project is thus the first
geoscientific project to cross the DST. This research group aims
to study the structure and dynamics of the crust and outer Earth's
mantle, the fine structures and dynamics of the DST, the thermal
conditions and the geodynamic evolution.
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