Sinkhole "swarms" along the Dead Sea coast: Reflection of disturbance of lake and adjacent groundwater systems

Abstract

Research Article| September 01, 2006 Sinkhole "swarms" along the Dead Sea coast: Reflection of disturbance of lake and adjacent groundwater systems Yoseph Yechieli; Yoseph Yechieli 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Meir Abelson; Meir Abelson 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Amos Bein; Amos Bein 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Onn Crouvi; Onn Crouvi 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Vladimir Shtivelman Vladimir Shtivelman 2Geophysical Institute of Israel, P.O. Box 182, Lod 71100, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Yoseph Yechieli 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Meir Abelson 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Amos Bein 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Onn Crouvi 1Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Vladimir Shtivelman 2Geophysical Institute of Israel, P.O. Box 182, Lod 71100, Israel Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 27 Jul 2005 Revision Received: 31 Jan 2006 Accepted: 03 Feb 2006 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2006) 118 (9-10): 1075–1087. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25880.1 Article history Received: 27 Jul 2005 Revision Received: 31 Jan 2006 Accepted: 03 Feb 2006 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Yoseph Yechieli, Meir Abelson, Amos Bein, Onn Crouvi, Vladimir Shtivelman; Sinkhole "swarms" along the Dead Sea coast: Reflection of disturbance of lake and adjacent groundwater systems. GSA Bulletin 2006;; 118 (9-10): 1075–1087. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25880.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract More than a thousand sinkholes have developed along the western coast of the Dead Sea since the early 1980s, more than 75% of them since 1997, all occurring within a narrow strip 60 km long and <1 km wide. This highly dynamic sinkhole development has accelerated in recent years to a rate of ∼150–200 sinkholes per year. The sinkholes cluster mostly over specific sites up to 1000 m long and 200 m wide, which spread parallel to the general direction of the fault system associated with the Dead Sea Transform. Research employing borehole and geophysical tools reveals that the sinkhole formation results from the dissolution of an ∼10,000-yr-old salt layer buried at a depth of 20–70 m below the surface. The salt dissolution by groundwater is evidenced by direct observations in test boreholes; these observations include large cavities within the salt layer and groundwater within the confined subaquifer beneath the salt layer that is undersaturated with respect to halite. Moreover, the groundwater brine within the salt layer exhibits geochemical evidence for actual salt dissolution (Na/Cl = 0.5–0.6 compared to Na/Cl = 0.25 in the Dead Sea brine). The groundwater heads below the salt layer have the potential for upward cross-layer flow, and the water is actually invading the salt layer, apparently along cracks and active faults. The abrupt appearance of the sinkholes, and their accelerated expansion thereafter, reflects a change in the groundwater regime around the shrinking lake and the extreme solubility of halite in water. The eastward retreat of the shoreline and the declining sea level cause an eastward migration of the fresh–saline water interface. As a result the salt layer, which originally was saturated with Dead Sea water over its entire spread, is gradually being invaded by fresh groundwater at its western boundary, which mixes and displaces the original Dead Sea brine. Accordingly, the location of the western boundary of the salt layer, which dates back to the shrinkage of the former Lake Lisan and its transition to the current Dead Sea, constrains the sinkhole distribution to a narrow strip along the Dead Sea coast.The entire phenomenon can be described as a hydrological chain reaction; it starts by intensive extraction of fresh water upstream of the Dead Sea, continues with the eastward retreat of the lake shoreline, which in turn modifies the groundwater regime, finally triggering the formation of sinkholes. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.