Dead Sea Transform

The Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system, also sometimes referred to as the Dead Sea Rift, is a geologic fault which extends through the Jordan River Valley in the Middle East. It runs along the boundary of two tectonic plates, the African Plate on the west and the Arabian Plate on the east. It is a left lateral transform fault, signifying the relative motions of the two plates. Both plates are moving in a general north-northeast direction, but the Arabian Plate is moving faster, resulting in the observed left lateral motions along the fault. A component of extension is also present, which has contributed to the depression in which the Dead Sea is situated.

The Dead Sea Transform runs from the northern end of the Red Sea Rift just offshore of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, to a junction with the East Anatolian Fault in southeastern Turkey.

References

• The Geophysical Institute
• "The East Anatolian Fault: Structural pattern and relationship with the Dead Sea Transform", Emre, O. & Duman, T. Y., American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #T42B-01, publ.12/2004