In the Taybeh Trench, excavated across the Arava Fault, Lefevre et al. (2018) identify Event E5 as a weakly expressed rupture within the laminated sandy succession, preserved near the top of layer I. The event is defined by a limited number of cracks concentrated between M10 and M9, marking a discrete but localized episode of deformation. Unlike E6, which is characterized by faults that penetrate multiple layers, E5 is associated with only a small set of fractures, making its identification less robust. These cracks extend upward to the top of layer I, a brown sandy unit containing an internal darker bed. Within this intermediate bed, a small vertical displacement is observed, providing the clearest structural evidence for the event.

The structural expression of E5 is therefore limited but still diagnostic. The small vertical offset within layer I indicates localized brittle failure, while the restricted number of cracks suggests either a lower-magnitude rupture or partial preservation of deformation. As with other trench observations along strike-slip faults, lateral displacement is not directly observable, and deformation is instead recorded through subtle vertical offsets and fracture patterns. From a tectonic perspective, E5 reflects continued activity along a dominantly strike-slip system, with deformation expressed through minor vertical components superimposed on lateral motion. The localized nature of the fractures and the limited displacement suggest that the rupture may not have produced widespread surface deformation at the trench scale. Alternatively, part of the deformation may have been removed or obscured by subsequent sedimentary processes.

Chronologically, E5 is moderately constrained. Based on Bayesian modeling of radiocarbon dating of detrital charcoal samples from surrounding units, Lefevre et al. (2018) place the event between approximately 14 BCE and 206 CE ( 2σ).

Figure 1 - (a) Detailed log of the southern wall of the trench. Units are differentiated according to facies. White dots indicate locations of ¹⁴C samples collected from both walls (the samples collected from the northern wall are represented at a stratigraphically and structurally equivalent location on the southern wall log). - Click on image to open in a new tab - LeFevre et al (2018)