Collapse of the Dead Sea coa
More than 1000 sinkholes
Y. Yechieli, M. Abelson, A. Bein
V. Shtivelman, G. Baer, D. Wachs
O. Crouvi, R. Calvo
Florida
Russia
Thailand
After the Tsunami
Dead Sea sinkholes – Regional-scale observations
Sinkholes in mud flats
Shalem-2 site (Mineral Beach)
Hever south
Neve Zohar
Sinkholes in alluvial fans
Sinkhole collapse beneath
a borehole
Hever-south site
… a week later
~1.5 m
Ein Gedi
date plantation
Ein Gedi Camp site
Sinkhole sites
along
The Dead Sea
coast
sinkhole site
In the last 4 years: Growth rate of 150-200 sinkholes
per year in the northern basin
So far, ~1000 sinkholes were identified
Growth rate of sinkholes along the Dead Sea coast
Acceleration
Increase in sinkhole number
Increase in total sinkhole area
Formation
mechanism
Dissolution of soluble rock
Winter Park, Florida (1981)
Hever-2
(south of Hever
fan)
Salt from Neve-Zohar sinkhole site
Retreat of Dead Sea coastline
&
formation sinkholes
En Gedi
Na/Cl=0.55
Na/Cl=0.33
Cl=15 g/l
(Fresh water)
Cl=220 g/l
(Dead Sea
water)
Mineral-2
borhole
Photograph of
cavity wall
Sinkholes
on
faults
Penetration of under
saturated ground
water through
aquiclude layers
Hever-2
(south of Hever
fan)
Aquicludic layers
coating
the salt layer
Intact
block
Shtivelman (2002)
Risk zonation
Ein-Gedi
Based on data from boreholes, the
westernmost sinkhole sites trace the
western boundary of salt layer
En Gedi
Shalem-2
Darga
Neve Zohar
The western boundary of
salt layer distribution
Development of sinkhole sites vs. altitude
-380
Hever fan 3
Elevation of sinkhole site centroid (m)
-385
Ein Bokek
Newe Zohar
Allu
ns
a
f
l
vi a
Hever fan 2
Arugot
-390
Yeelim
-395
Hever south
Mor
Asael
Lintch
Hever north
Zeelim 4
Mishmar
Zeelim 1
-405
-410
-400 m
Lisan channel
-400
Dead Sea level
Shalem 2
Mazor
Yesha
Samar
Zeelim 3
Kane1,
Avenat south
Zeelim fan 1-2
Kane north
Dragot Kane 2
south
Shalem 1, Zukim Avnat, Shalem 4
Zeruya
Sinkhole site average height
Dead sea level
-415
Kane 3, Shalem 3
Zeelim 2
01/1978
01/1980
01/1982
01/1984
01/1986
01/1988
01/1990
01/1992
01/1994
01/1996
Date of sinkhole site first appearance
01/1998
01/2000
01/2002
-400 m
Western margin
crosses alluvial fan
En Gedi area
Darga-Hatsatson
alluvial fan
Hever alluvial fan
Hever fan
‫אזור סיכון – מניפת חבר‬
Future perspective
Summary
● More than 1000 Sinkholes in a narrow strip, 60 km long & <1km width, along the Dead
Sea coast, clustered in ~40 sinkhole sites
● Sinkholes form due to dissolution of salt layer triggered by the shrinkage of the Dead Sea,
attested by findings of cavities in salt layer & undersaturated groundwater below it
● Sinkholes develop above concealed faults
● Early sinkhole sites trace the westernmost boundary of salt layer, in level of -400 m,
assisting in definition of risk zonation.
● Sinkhole development may cease when groundwater level will decline below the salt layer,
assuming no deeper salt layers
Thank you