Abstract
In the past decade, hundreds of collapse-sinkholes have formed along the Dead Sea coastlines in Israel and Jordan, causing severe damage to the regional infrastructure. We present some preliminary results combining geophysical methods, boreholes, and aerial photographs in order to understand the mechanism of sinkhole formation. Boreholes and seismic refraction indicate a ubiquitous salt layer at the subsurface below the sinkhole sites. Aerial photographs and seismic reflection imply that sinkhole sites form along faults. We suggest that the Dead Sea sinkholes were formed by dissolution of the salt layer, where the halite-sub-saturated groundwater invaded through faults. The invasion of the fresh groundwater from the west was triggered by the decrease in the Dead Sea level and the consequent eastward retreat of the Dead Sea shoreline which has lead the fresh-saline water interface to migrate eastward.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 184-192 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Geotechnical Special Publication |
Issue number | 122 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2003 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, Proceedings of the Ninth Multidisciplinary Conference - Huntsville, AL, United States Duration: 6 Sep 2003 → 10 Sep 2003 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Architecture
- Building and Construction
- Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology