The Dead Sea rift transect (DESERT 2000) project started in 2000 is first multinational and interdisciplinary project crossing the Dead Sea Transform (DST), which is one of the largest continental, transforms. Seismic, seismological and MT field experiments have been carried out along the transect (see accompanied posters). They shed light on the deep structure of the DST fault system and its shoulders. Here we compile 3-D density and magnetic model of the crust along the transect based on all existing gravity, magnetic and petrophysical data and using seismic and MT data as constraints. Gravity data confirm relatively thin basic (sub oceanic) crust under northern Israel and Lebanon and the continental crust eastward of the DST. We assume that this difference existed before the DST motion was initiated. The DST used the boundary of these various blocks as weakness zone. On the other hand the DST has broken up the crust and made it easier for the uplifting of the low-density eastern shoulder. The gravity anomaly pattern is also a powerful tool to detailed study an internal structure of the well-developed transform valley. Sedimentary basins are detected in the gravity field because of the low-density of their fill relative to the high-density country rocks. The location and shape of these basins should be used to delineate fault segments assuming that the basins are the result of subsidence along faults. The transform character of the Dead Sea fault system has been well reconfirmed using magnetic data. Restoration of the Arabian plate relative to the Sinai sub plate along the Dead Sea transform aligns a few prominent E-W oriented magnetic anomalies located in Israel with the extensions of the same anomalies in Jordan. This presentation will introduce and discuss our model and will give an overview over the gravity, magnetic and petrophysical data available in the region. We will also discuss details of the novel methodology for modeling of lithospheric rigidity and 3D interpretation, which we use in our study.

Eos Trans. AGU, 82(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., 2001