LIFE: See-Spiegel Schwankungen, Oberflächenverformung und Seismogenese im Toten Meer.

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Julius Jara Muñoz
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Paläontologie ; Physik des Erdkörpers
• Förderung: Förderung von 2018 bis 2023
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 397011549

• Erstellungsjahr: 2023

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

The LIFE project, led by Dr. Julius Jara Muñoz aimed to investigate the intricate relationship between lake-level changes, surface deformation, and seismic activity in the Dead Sea Basin. The project comprised four main steps. In the initial step, extensive field surveys were conducted along the coastlines of the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan. These surveys involved mapping and sampling the shorelines, identifying active faults, and employing high-resolution drone topography surveys. The team successfully completed field campaigns and developed a specialized mapping tool called TerraceM, which enabled accurate mapping of elevation and spatial distribution of fossil lake shorelines. The second step focused on estimating lake-level variations through a multidisciplinary approach combining high-resolution topography, radiocarbon and U-series dating, stable isotope analysis, mineralogy, and paleontology, the team reconstructed lake-level changes from paleolake Lisan to the present-day Dead Sea. The findings provided new insights into the magnitude and timing of lake-level variations. Processing and analyzing the high-resolution drone topography data to estimate vertical deformation rates constituted the third step. The team developed numerical models that allowed precise calculation of deformation rates over small time intervals. The fourth and final step involved comparing the deformation rates with radar interferometry data and paleoseismic records. This comprehensive analysis aimed to unravel the link between lake-level variations, vertical deformation, and seismogenesis in the Dead Sea basin. The project made significant progress in all research steps. The completion of field surveys and the development of TerraceM provided valuable data for subsequent analysis. The estimation of lake-level variations challenged previous reconstructions, highlighting the influence of potential global-scale forcing mechanisms on the Dead Sea Basin. The analysis of deformation rates and their comparison with lake-level changes and paleoseismic records provided new insights on the interplay between climatic and tectonic processes in the region. The implications of this research extend beyond the academic realm. The Dead Sea Basin is known for its high seismic activity and the potential risks associated with it. By gaining a better understanding of the factors influencing seismogenesis, including lake-level variations and surface deformation, this project has contributed with crucial information for the assessment and mitigation of seismic hazards in the region. The findings also have broader implications for understanding the complex interactions between tectonic, climatic, and hydrological processes in other similar geological settings worldwide. In conclusion, the LIFE project successfully investigated the link between lake-level variations, surface deformation, and seismogenesis in the Dead Sea Basin. Through comprehensive field surveys, innovative methodologies, and interdisciplinary analyses, the project provided valuable insights into the dynamics of the region.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

• TerraceM®: A Matlab® tool to analyze and modeling marine and lacustrine terraces using high-resolution topography. XV Congreso geologico Chileno 2018, P1286.
  Jara-Muñoz, J. & Melnick, D.
  
• Linking lake level changes and surface deformation in the Dead Sea. INQUA Congres 2019, P-1034
  Jara-Muñoz, J., Agnon, A., Melnick, D., Garcin, Y., Darvasi, Y. & Strecker, M.R.
  
• Linking surface deformation and lake level changes in the Dead Sea. EGU General Assembly 2019, Conference Abstracts, 9664.
  Jara-Muñoz, J., Agnon, A., Melnick, D., Garcin, Y., Darvasi, Y. & Strecker, M.R.
  
• Linking surface deformation and lake level changes in the Dead Sea. Geophysical Research Abstracts (Copernicus), 2019, V. 21, p1-1.
  Jara-Muñoz, J., Agnon, A., Melnick, D., Garcin, Y., Darvasi, Y. & Strecker, M.R.
  
• TerraceM-2: A Matlab® Interface for Mapping and Modeling Marine and Lacustrine Terraces. Frontiers in Earth Science, 7.
  Jara-Muñoz, Julius; Melnick, Daniel; Pedoja, Kevin & Strecker, Manfred R.
  
• Workshop, metrics and models of coastal landscape evolution: Practical introduction to marine terrace mapping using TerraceM. IAG Regional conference on Geomorphology, Athens, 2019.
  Jara Muñoz, J.
  
• Lake level changes in the Dead Sea during the late Pleistocene recorded by fossil lake shorelines. Copernicus GmbH.
  Jara-Muñoz, Julius; Agnon, Amotz; Fohlmeister, Jens; Mey, Jürgen; Frank, Norbert; Plessen, Birgit; Schroeder-Ritzrau, Andrea; Garcin, Yannick; Darvasi, Yaniv; Melnick, Daniel & Strecker, Manfred
  
• The cryptic seismic potential of the Pichilemu blind fault in Chile revealed by off-fault geomorphology. Nature Communications, 13(1).
  Jara-Muñoz, J.; Melnick, D.; Li, S.; Socquet, A.; Cortés-Aranda, J.; Brill, D. & Strecker, M. R.
  
• Webinar, coastal Geomorphic markers, advances and applications to elucidate tectonic mechanisms and rates. IAG Regional conference on Geomorphology, Athens, 2023.
  Jara Muñoz, J.