Event E.H. 2 - after 1415 CE
At the
deltaic site of Bet Zeyda (aka Beteiha), just north of the
Sea of Galilee (aka Lake Kinneret),
three-dimensional paleoseismic investigations
were conducted by multiple researchers over a number
of years using numerous trenches. The studies
examined a series of ~E–W-oriented
paleo-channels intersected and
sinistrally displaced by the ~N–S-trending
active Jordan Gorge Fault, producing a detailed
chronology of fault activity over roughly the past
2,000 years, based on
radiocarbon dating of
detrital charcoal. Once outliers are
excluded, this material appears to have a
residence time of decades rather than
centuries (e.g. see
Marco et al., 2005:200). Results indicate that
seismic events were more frequent and produced
greater fault slip during the first millennium CE
than in the second, suggesting the region may be
approaching another period of heightened seismic
activity.
Initial
paleoseismic investigations at Bet Zeyda were
conducted by
Marco et al. (2005). At
Marco et al. (2005)’s northern site, two fault
ruptures were identified, showing a similar temporal
pattern to two fault ruptures at the
Tel Ateret archaeoseismic site approximately 12 km
to the north. In their
radiocarbon-derived age–depth model for Bet
Zeyda, Event E.H.1 was tightly dated (1020–1280 CE) and
was most likely caused by one of the
1202 CE earthquakes.
Event E.H.2 was not tightly dated and occurred sometime
after 1415 CE.
Marco et al. (2005) suggested that one
of the
earthquakes of 1759 CE was responsible for E.H.2, but
they also considered alternatives such as the
1546 CE and
1837 CE earthquakes. Event E.H.2 produced ~0.5 m of
left-lateral offset of
paleo-channels CH4 and CH5, leading to an
estimated magnitude of 6.6–6.9.
