
Focal Plane solution and orientation analysis highlight major fault structures in the Kinneret Basin
Eshly Aizenshtat Soffer1,2, Nadav Wetzler1 and Amotz Agnon2
(1) Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yesha'ayahu Leibowitz, Jerusalem 9692100, Israel
(2) The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Earthquake focal mechanism solutions (FMS) provide paramount information to highlight faulting geometry at depth. This study analyzes 145 micro-seismic earthquakes (MW > 2.0) in the Kinneret-Kinarot Basin along the Dead Sea Fault system. Earthquakes are classified by the faulting styles to strike-slip, normal, reverse, and oblique faulting, and divided into three main geographic areas: (1) north of Lake Kinneret (including the Jordan Gorge fault), (2) the Lake Kinneret region, and (3) south of Lake Kinneret. To evaluate preferred faulting orientation, we stack all strike angles of the calculated FMS (including the two nodal planes) in each group and represent them on a rose diagram. We find that seismicity along the Jordan Gorge Fault is dominated by strike-slip faulting in two orientations striking N-S, and NW-SE directions. In Kinneret Lake, FMS are mainly normal, associated with two earthquake swarms (2013 and 2018), with faults striking N-S. In this area, we also indicate strike-slip mechanisms showing variable orientations, suggesting the presence of multiple faults. South of the lake we calculated mostly strike-slip mechanisms striking mainly NNE-SSW and EES-WWN, likely associated with the main Dead Sea fault.