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Human-induced geological hazards along the Dead Sea coast

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

The Dead Sea is a terminal lake whose level is currently dropping at a rate of about 1 m per year due to the over exploitation of all its tributaries. The lowering started about four decades ago but geological hazards appeared more and more frequently from the end of the 1980s. The water level lowering is matched by a parallel groundwater level drop, which results in an increasing intensity of underground and surface water flow. The diagonal interface between the Dead Sea brine and the fresh groundwater is pushed downwards and seawards. Nowadays, sinkholes, subsidence, landslides and reactivated salt-karsts affect wide coastal segments. Until now, mainly infrastructures were damaged and few people/animals were injured, but the ongoing development of tourism in this very attractive situation will increase the risk if precautionary measures are not included in the development plans. This paper discusses the main observations made all around the Dead Sea and shed a light on the differences between the geological hazards of the western shore (Israel, Palestinian Authority) and the eastern shore (Jordan). It is the first attempt to bring together an overview of the human-induced geological hazards encountered along the Dead Sea coast.

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Acknowledgments

We thank David J. Lowe, Mario Paraise, and a third anonymous reviewer for their thorough reviews which improved this paper significantly. The research of Damien Closson is supported by the Royal Military Academy of Belgium and the NATO Science Programme/Cooperative Science and Technology Sub-Programme/Collaborative Linkage Grant n° 982884. The work of Najib Abou Karaki was partly supported by the European Community through the project APAME “Archaeoseismology and Paleoseismology for the protection of Cultural Heritage and Archaeological sites in the Middle East, The Impact of Large Earthquakes on Archaeological Sites and Cultural Heritage in the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey)” ICA3-CT 2002-10024. The support of these parties is highly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Military Academy, Signal and Image Centre, Brussels, Belgium

    D. Closson

  2. Environmental and Applied Geology Department, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

    N. Abou Karaki

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  1. D. Closson
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  2. N. Abou Karaki
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Correspondence to D. Closson.

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Closson, D., Abou Karaki, N. Human-induced geological hazards along the Dead Sea coast. Environ Geol 58, 371–380 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1400-3

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