In the Taybeh Trench, excavated across the Arava Fault, Lefevre et al. (2018) identify Event E8 as the first clearly expressed rupture within the sequence of finer-grained, laminated units overlying the channel deposits. The event horizon is located within layer E, a fine sandy unit, where deformation is expressed through cracks and localized vertical offset, particularly visible near M16. Unlike earlier events (E11–E9), which are preserved within coarse or highly reworked deposits, E8 is recorded within laminated sands that allow clearer identification of deformation structures. At M16, layers C and D are displaced downward by approximately 3 cm, providing one of the first measurable vertical offsets in the sequence. Additional cracks are observed within layer E; however, the top of layer E remains undeformed, indicating that the earthquake occurred during the deposition of this unit. Lefevre et al. (2018) also note that some and possibly all cracks and small offsets attributed to E8 may instead reflect deformation that propagated downward due to later earthquakes, rather than a distinct rupture event, particularly where fractures are shallow and do not extend to depth.

As with other trench observations along strike-slip systems, lateral displacement is not directly observable, and deformation is instead recorded through vertical offsets and fracture patterns. The downward movement observed at M16, together with associated fracturing, is consistent with strike-slip motion accompanied by minor normal or transtensional components, reflecting localized vertical deformation superimposed on dominant strike-slip motion. From a depositional standpoint, the occurrence of E8 within layer E indicates that seismic deformation took place during an interval of relatively stable sedimentation.

Chronologically, E8 is moderately well constrained. Based on Bayesian modeling of radiocarbon dating of detrital charcoal samples from bounding units, Lefevre et al. (2018) place the event between approximately 885 BCE and 514 BCE ( 2σ). Although still relatively broad, this interval is significantly narrower than those of earlier events, reflecting improved preservation of datable material and clearer stratigraphic relationships within the upper part of the trench.

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)