Tell Saidiyeh and Ghor Kabed Trenches

Master Seismic Events Table
Data Tables for the Tell Saidiyeh and Ghor Kabed Trenches



Charts, Plots, Maps, Images, etc.
Seismic Events Y and Z in the Tell Saidiyeh and Ghor Kabed Trenches

Source: Ferry et al (2011)

Ghor Kabed
Trench 1 (T1)

In trench T1 (Fig. 5a), ruptures are distributed over the section east of the main fault zone (Fig. 4e) and affect Lisan and Damya deposits. All upward fault terminations correspond to the base of the present-day plow unit (unit a) and do not show clear indications for a chronology. However, at the contact between Lisan/Damya and Holocene deposits,the faulted units correspond to a narrow fissure filled by pieces of unit b. Unit a, which covers the shear zone and corresponds to an organic soil, has been dated at A.D. 1490–1800, postdating the most recent faulting event ZT1, which possibly corresponds to the A.D. 749 or the A.D. 1033 earthquakes.
Image Description Source
T1 Trench Log
Ghor Khabed
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5a
Photo of main fault zone in T1 Trench
Ghor Khabed
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 4e
Trench 2 (T2)

Event ZT2: The most recent event observed in trench T2 is associated with surface ruptures that affect finely laminated unit b2, unit b1, and possibly c, d, and e with fault splays terminating at the base of the top unit a. This event is necessarily younger than unit b1, radiocarbon-dated A.D. 560–660, and may be associated with the historical A.D. 749 earthquake and/or the A.D. 1033 earthquake.

Event YT2: The event is attested by the formation of a 1.5-m-wide flower structure filled with breccia (b1) and stratified silty clay (unit b2). In case unit b1 is a fissure fill, the event would have taken place shortly before the deposition of unit b1 (i.e., shortly before A.D. 560–660). However, if unit b1 is composed of preexisting layers affected by this event, it may then have occurred after the deposition of unit b1, which would naturally point to the A.D. 749 earthquake. In that latter case, event ZT2 would correspond to the A.D.1033 earthquake.
Image Description Source
T2 Trench Log
Ghor Khabed
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5b
Trenches 1 and 2 combined

The burial of unit b1 and related shear zone by unit a in the two trenches (Fig. 5e) indicates a bracket of A.D. 560–1800 of the last two faulting movements in the pull-apart area. Our interpretation is that the two post-sixth century faulting events may be correlated with the A.D. 749 and 5 December 1033 large earthquakes in the Jordan Valley (Abou Karaki, 1987; Ambraseys and Jackson,1998).
Image Description Source
Stratigraphic Correlation
between Trenches
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5e
Tell Saidiyeh
Trench 3 (T3)

Event ZT3: This event affected unit e in two places, which are east and west of a large modern root (see Fig. 5c). The absence of unit e west of the two fault splays suggests that vertical displacement was larger than 15 cm on each splay. Event ZT3 has likely occurred shortly before the deposition of unit d dated A.D. 1490–1640 and probably corresponds to the A.D. 1033 earthquake.

Event YT3: The oldest event recognized in trench T3 is marked by the faulting of unit f, the oldest non-Lisan unit observed here. It has likely occurred between the deposition of units f and e. However, because event ZT3 cut through the whole thickness of unit e while event YT3 affects it partially, we assume that event YT3 occurred closer to the deposition of unit e and event ZT3 closer to the deposition of unit d.
[JW: Trench 3 only produced one reported and useful radiocarbon date - the one dating unit d to A.D. 1490–1640. Thus unit e and below are not dated - see Table 1]
Image Description Source
T3 Trench Log
Tell Saidiyeh
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5c
Trench 4 (T4)

Event ZT4: This most recent event is illustrated by three major splays (FZ1, FZ3, and FZ4) that affect the whole stratigraphic section up to 20–30 cm below the present-day surface. Vertical displacement can only be resolved on FZ3, where it reaches ~5 cm. That rupture does not affect the shallowest units b and c. It has likely occurred after the deposition of unit d and before the deposition of unit c, thus yielding a time window between A.D. 87 and A.D. 1920 (Table 1) and pleading for a historical event. Because the A.D. 87 lower bracket is based on a snail shell that is significantly older than the surrounding soil, we consider that the event occurred significantly closer to the upper bracket; that is, more likely after ~A.D. 500. However, from the available radiocarbon datings alone, it is not possible to decide if this exposed fault has experienced rupture in A.D. 749 or A.D. 1033 or both. Alternatively, one may argue that unit c (dated A.D. 1660–1950) exhibits noticeable warping across the main fault zone with an apparent vertical deformation of ~25 cm and that unit b thickens at the toe of the related scarplet into what may be a colluvial wedge. Age and dimensions of those features correspond to a recent MW ~ 6 earthquake, such as the 1927 Palestine earthquake. This interpretation is supported by the occurrence of a modern fissure fill unit in T3.

Event YT4: This event is interpreted from small (a few centimeters) displacements affecting units along FZ2. All units in the central section from m to e display minor offsets. Unit d caps the rupture and forms the event horizon. Event YT4 occurred between the deposition of units e and d and may be dated by samples Tbc-23 and Tbc-26 (Table 1). This yields a wide window of occurrence between 5060 B.C. and 1410 B.C.
Image Description Source
T4 Trench Log
Tell Saidiyeh
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5d

Tell Saidiyeh and Ghor Kabed Trenches -Maps, Plots, Trench Logs, etc.

Image Description Source
Segmented Faults in Jordan River Valley Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 1b
Paleoseismic Site locations Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 3a
Map - Ghor Khabed Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 3c
T1 Trench Log
Ghor Khabed
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5a
T2 Trench Log
Ghor Khabed
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5b
Map - Tell Saidiyeh Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 3b
T3 Trench Log
Tell Saidiyeh
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5c
T4 Trench Log
Tell Saidiyeh
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5d
Stratigraphic Correlation
between Trenches
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 5e
Radiocarbon Dates
Trenches 1-4
Ferry et al (2011) Fig. 7

References
References