Is the Jericho Escarpment a Tectonic or a Geomorphological Feature? Active Faulting and Paleoseismic Trenching

A prominent linear topographic escarpment at the Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan site, previously thought to be solely tectonic in origin, is revealed to have both geomorphological and seismic components. Paleoseismic trenching exposed Late Holocene faulting near the Dead Sea's northern edge, while a trench farther south showed no evidence of faulting, suggesting a segmented fault with varying activity patterns. The escarpment may also be partially an erosional feature, shaped by ancient Jordan River incision or Holocene lakeshore processes. A lacustrine channel fill indicates a high stand of the Dead Sea during the Younger Dryas cooling period, highlighting the interplay between tectonic and climatic forces in shaping this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lazar, M., Ben‐Avraham, Z., Garfunkel, Z., Porat, N., & Marco, S. (2010). Is the Jericho Escarpment a Tectonic or a Geomorphological Feature? Active Faulting and Paleoseismic Trenching. The Journal of Geology, 118(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1086/651504