Geomorphology, 7 ( 1993 ) 305-315 305

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam

A morphotectonic map of the northern Arava in Israel, derived

from isobase lines

S. Golts a and E. Rosenthal b

aMorphoprospect Consulting Group, 41 Meir Naqqar Street, Jerusalem, 93803 lsrael
bHydrological Service, Research Division, POB 6381, Jerusalem, 91063 Israel
(Received August 2, 1991 ; revised October 20, 1992; accepted October 22, 1992 )

ABSTRACT

Golts, S. and Rosenthal, E., 1993. A morphotectonic map of the northern Arava in Israel, derived from isobase lines.
Geomorphology, 7:305-315.

In areas characterized by flat and weakly incised relief built of young and lithologicalty uniform sediments, structural
and tectonic maps are often non-existent or of no great avail. Under such conditions, the regional morphotectonic analysis
of the study area may be a most useful tool to produce the required basic hydrogeological information. It consists basically
of two consecutive steps, i.e., definition of stream orders and the preparation of isobase maps. In the research of Quater-
nary geology isobase surface analysis is regarded as a means for identifying young tectonic processes. The morphotectonic
map is the final derivative of isobase maps. It portrays the basic lineaments or dislocation lines derived by analysing
deviations in the directions of isobase lines, of their spreading or compression and of deviations between axes of valleys.
The morphotectonic map presented in this paper portrays several major morphostructural units within the Arava graben,
in the area between the Dead Sea and Nahal Paran.

Introduction to surveys in desert areas by Golts (1988,

In areas characterized by flat and weakly in-
cised relief built of young and lithologically
similar sediments, information derived from
geological maps is usually of a schematic char-
acter whereas structural and tectonic maps are
either nonexistent or of no great avail. The sit-
uation may become even more complicated if
no stratigraphy is available or if it is scarce or
of unreliable quality. Under conditions of such
scarce data, the regional analysis of geo-
morphic features such as drainage nets is a
most useful tool to produce the required basic
structural information.
The methodology described in the present
paper was developed by following guidelines
formulated by Filosofov (1960) and adapted
1989).
Regional setting
The northern Arava (Fig. 1) is part of the
Jordan-Dead Sea Rift Valley and extends 80
km southward from the Dead Sea. The study
area extends along a part of the drainage basin
ofNahal (Wadi) Arava covering an area of ap-
proximately 1100 km 2. The main geological
units building the study area are of Neogene to
Pleistocene age. The Neogene Hazeva Forma-
tion consists mainly of sand beds separated by
clay horizons. It is overlain by the Plio-Pleis-
tocene Arava fill consisting of coarse clastic al-
luvial horizons. The sedimentary section of the

0169-555X/93/$06.00 © 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved.

306 S. GOLTS AND E. ROSENTHAL

. , Haifa~; ..,. ,.I I t[

/ I) . ~ . ~ 1 1
050 Tel Avl~ I 050
/ Jerusaeleml
,JI I+ el
// !I I
)
INVESTIGATED // ~/'~ IJ
\ AREA
/ ~i," c
i ~..!1 )
\ /
k Ii I //
'\ ( '-~HAZ
\ /
i i,. s EVAII/..'--
J. /
I
\\ /
S.. )I <
\/

.. SAP,~ ST UDY
000 000
\ )_I_(.__.A IX I:. A '-,
ZOFAR i i | /
\ '--"~I+ /
\ /il I
t.l # /
/

fJ
~ ' ~ tpPiRAN
,.:~ e ~ ~ , ,"~,,)
i ,v.,, ,7-~
! |f

po 1 1 I
Fig. 1. L o c a t i o n m a p .

area (Fig. 2 ) is topped by the Samra and Lisan nual average rainfall in the 40-57 m m range.
Formations, which are sediments of Pleisto- Rainfall is unevenly distributed over the win-
cene lakes, precursors of the present-day Dead ter months and usually occurs as violent tor-
Sea, composed of alternating horizons of silt, rential storms creating flash floods. Daily mean
clay, sand, conglomerate and aragonite. The temperatures in summer reach 35 °C and dur-
thickness of the Neogene-Quaternary veneer ing winter, 20°C. The annual evapotranspira-
is 500-550 m. tion (measured in class A pans) reaches 3600
In the study area the climate is arid with an- mm.
A M O R P H O T E C T O N I C M A P D E R I V E D F R O M ISOBASE LINES 307

ious morphological features brought into evi-

~_ o m
u.l.- dence by isobase maps, could be related to dif-
~z
¢
.
-~
-7
:_
ferent geological stages.
As further demonstrated in the present arti-
,=. LISAN + .~=-----~--'-.',
0~ SAMRA
FMS.
," . . . . . . . .
.-.; :.
40 cle, stream order analysis carried out in a de-
~o fined study area may lead to the following
MII
ARAVA ' '.°.'°.°. ' 500--
- - - --Ld-
== FILL
.-'0" o " o'
550+
conclusions:
( 1 ) Streams, valleys or wadis of similar or-
z w
z
]
HAZEVA
FM,
.- . . . . . .
. ,. • . . ;. .",..',.." 2 0 0 +
IlUl ders relate to similar geological events and are
of similar geological age.
(2) For stream segments of the same orders
CLAY SAND CONGLO-
MERATE
but of different lengths, the shortest are char-
acterized by steepest topographic gradients.
LIMESTONE CHALK CHALKY
LIMESTONE
Such segments usually occur either on flanks
of fold structures or on elevated tectonic blocks.
AQUIFER AQUITARD
The inclinations of the longest stream-seg-
ments are usually gentle. Such segments are
Fig. 2. Generalized stratigraphic column with indication usually typical of synclinal troughs, graben
of the main exploited aquifers (not to scale). structures and of downfaulted blocks.
Isobase is a term used for a line which delin-
Methodology eates (similar to structural maps) an erosional
surface. According to Filosofov (1960) the
The proposed methodology implies (as a isobase surface is the hypothetical plane formed
first step even prior to commencement of field by connecting stream profiles of a similar
surveys) the preparation of a morphotectonic stream order. The topography above the iso-
map based on the analysis of detailed topo- base surface is disregarded. The stream beds
graphic maps - - preferably in the scale range designate the erosional base surface. The ele-
of 1 : 10,000-1:50,000. In order to formulate a vation of isobase lines will always be either
regional groundwater flow model the morphol- identical with or lower than ground surface.
ogical conclusions have to be supported by ru- The elevation of an isobase line is retrieved
dimentary lithostratigraphic background data. from detailed topographic maps at the inter-
The morphotectonic analysis consists basi- section of a stream channel with the topo-
cally of two consecutive steps i.e. definition of graphic contour lines (Fig. 3c). This leads to
stream orders and the preparation of isobase compilation of isobase maps portraying the
maps. These steps are illustrated in Figs. 3a- erosional surfaces for stream segments of sim-
3d. ilar orders. In geological terms, isobase sur-
The stream order designates the relative po- faces relate to similar erosional stages and
sition of stream segments in an erosional should be regarded as manifestations of re-
drainage basin network. Numerous authors gional erosional-tectonic events and espe-
(Gravelius, 1914; Horton, 1945; Strahler, cially of young movements of the crust. Hence,
1957; Filosofov, 1960) suggested various isobase surface analysis may be a useful tool for
methods to define stream orders. Of all these, deciphering young tectonic processes (Gary et
only the method suggested by Horton ( 1945 ), al., 1973 ). The concept of isobase surface and
which was later modernized by Filosofov isobase maps as formulated by Filosofov
(1960), attributes a relative geological age to (1960) is identical to Hack's (1960) suben-
each different stream order. Therefore, var- velope map idea.
308 S. GOLTSAND E. ROSENTHAL

(a

! " i~ ~ . i"

Fig. 3. Methodological steps in morphotectonic analysis, (a) Definition of stream orders; (b) stream orders superim-
posed on topographical relief map; (c) isobase map (derived from second and higher stream orders); (d) fault traced
according to deviations of isobase lines.

While interpreting isobase maps (Fig. 4a)
the following details should be considered:
(1) Sharp deviations in the directions of
isobase lines may indicate either tectonic dis-
locations or extreme lithological changes. Such
a situation is depicted in Fig. 5a. This conclu-
sion is supported by evidence from boreholes
Hazeva 5, 5a, 424a and 420 (Fig. 6a). Lithol-
ogical changes also occur in the eastern part of
the section on the surface of the downthrown
fault-block. Due to the presence of the fault,
the left tributaries of Nahal Arava cut the iso-
base lines at sharp angles.
(2) Compression (pinching) ofisobase lines
may be indicative of steeply dipping strata, of
flexturing or of faulting. An example ofisobase
lines pinching is portrayed in Fig. 5a. There
such a situation was identified near the drain-
age base where the longitudinal gradient of the
stream bed should have been gentle. This iso-
base pinching anomaly is the result of a fault
which was identified between boreholes Haz-
eva 9 and 15 (Fig. 6b). Borehole Hazeva 15
which was drilled on the basis of this morphol-
ogical analysis, confirmed the presence of the
fault. Another example of isobase pinching is
from the lower course of Nahal Hazeva, where
Yechieli et al., (1988) identified a fault dis-
A MORPHOTECTON1C MAP DERIVED FROM ISOBASE LINES 309

3S=ZO

(b) 'r ~7

~F

~NORTHERN
d
DEPRESSION
t

UPLIFTED
AREA
\ \

" z J:t
~c / : i

I(i{/z:}7 \ SOUTHERN
s. ,,ow
• :i

)
= ~ FAULTS . . . . . INFERRED FAULTS G,.FE..EO''L' 00.E

Fig. 4. (a) Isobasemap. (b) Morphotectonicmap of northernArava.

placing Upper Quaternary beds (Fig. 6c ). structural troughs. This is confirmed by field
(3) Spreading o f isobase lines as occurring evidence (Fig. 6a) in the area between bore-
in the Hazeva area (Fig. 5a) is indicative of holes Hazeva 420 and 424b.
mild gradients and o f the possible presence of (4) In valleys or in stream beds isobase lines
310 s. GOLTSANDE.ROSENTHAL

usually bulge upstream. However, if those lines
bulge downstream, this is indicative of inten-
sive subsidence of that particular stream seg-
ment. It is usually accompanied by bifurcation
of valleys and by accumulation of alluvium. An
example of such an anomaly on N. Raviv was
encountered while mapping in the central Ne-
gev (Golts, 1981 ) and is depicted in Fig. 5b.
Within the boundaries of sedimentary bas-
ins, the inclination of rock layers and the di-
rection of flow of high-order stream beds co-
incide with the regional tectonic structures.
Groundwater flow usually coincides with max-
imal gradients as defined on isobase maps. The
longitudinal sections of valleys of the same
stream orders incised during definite geologi-
cal periods are true expressions of the tectonic
movements occurring during these geological
time-intervals. Therefore isobase maps de-
rived for valleys of a certain stream order re-

"' % .'° ."

\ I

• .'.....'.+
. ..., ."

i::/~
0 ," " ."

! 1 .... ..... ~,o . ......4 ) i

;..t 7~i~-
/,{~

. ...""" z I

i~0~0~
•.
.... ~ ~ , '
- 7- - " ;z/.z
,.., _
t, ~/ ~ ,~ ~ ~' 5 , f
-~, / /-. '. -. / /l~, t i

.... ......... : . 17i\i

2000 m
A MORPHOTECTON1C MAP DERIVED FROM ISOBASE LINES
Fig. 5. (a) Examples of deviation, spreading and pinch-
ing of isobase lines in the Hazeva area. Open arrows em-
phasize spreading of isobase lines. Black arrows indicate
pinching of isobase lines. Black triangle indicates location
of geological field section in Fig. 6c. Dotted line deline-
ates normal stream bed direction usually at right angles to
isobase lines. Broken line emphasizes anomalous stream
beds tracing at sharp angles to isobase lines. Due to pres-
ence of fault, left tributaries of Nahal Arava cut isobase
lines at sharp angles. (b) Downstream bulging of isobase
line indicative of intensive subsidence of stream segment
(N. Raviv, central Negev, Israel; Golts, 1986). (c, over-
leaf) Radial drainage pattern in the Arava, possibly rep-
resenting buried salt dome (Golts, 1988). Such an in-
ferred salt dome was identified in Fig. 4c at the southern
extremity of the Southern Shallow Depression.
flect the totality of tectonic movements since
the incision of these valleys and up to the pres-
ent time. If these maps portray anomalous fea-
tures such as compression, spreading or sharp
deviations in the directions of isobase lines,
these features may reflect changes in the inten-
sities of vertical movements or presence of
faults or could be indicative of boundaries of
areas shaped by entirely different tectonic
events.
311
Hence, a morphotectonic map is a derivative
of isobase maps. It portrays the basic linea-
ments or dislocation lines derived by analysing
deviations in the directions of isobase lines.
The outlines of physical-geographical entities
drawn over isobase maps, usually accentuate
the boundaries of tectonic provinces or the di-
rection of tectonic movements. Generally, in
areas covered by a thick veneer of continental
sediments, the isobase map always indicates
the regional or the local inclination during the
uppermost structural stage.
Results
The morphotectonic map of northern Arava
When a given area has a uniform climate and
the rocks outcropping within its boundaries are
of similar lithology, one may expect identical
structural models for its erosional valleys and
basins. These would be expressed by a simple
pattern of isobase lines. Changes in the densi-
ties of these lines would occur gradually, from
the upper to the lower reaches of the valleys,
depending on the shape of the longitudinal sec-
tion of the valley during each geological time-
increment (or relatively to each stream or-
der). In the northern Arava (in which both cli-
mate and lithology are uniform), the isobase
map (Fig. 4a) portrays numerous local anom-
alies. The most prominent are the following:
( 1 ) In the eastern part of the Arava Rift Val-
ley, the surface dips to the northwest. Isobase
lines trend NNE-SSW and are characterized by
sharp bends forming lineaments striking N W -
SE or N-S.
(2) In the western part of the valley, the sur-
face dips northeastward whereas isobase lines
trend NNE-SSW. Their bends form linea-
ments tracing NE or NW. Such lineaments
could occur as the result of tectonical or lith-
ological changes. Field evidence from the study
area indicates that the NE-SW or NW-SE
striking lineaments are actually fault lines
312
Fig. 5. ( c o n t i n u e d ) .
which fit into the regional structural pattern of
the Arava.
(3) In various parts of the study area a ra-
dial drainage pattern was encountered which
does not fit in any way into the regional linear
pattern ofisobase lines (Fig. 5c). Usually, lin-
ear morphometric anomalies are interpreted as
faults whereas round features (with radial
drainage pattern) are viewed either as young
anticlinal structures or as salt domes (Filoso-
fov, 1960).
The morphotectonic map of northern Arava
derived by isobase methodology as outlined in
this paper, is shown in Fig. 4b.
As previously stated, the subsurface of the
northern Arava is built by a 550 m thick se-
quence of Neogene-Quaternary clastics (Ye-
S. GOLTS AND E. ROSENTHAL
2Krn
I
chieli et al., 1992). Under such a geological
setting, the isobase map facilitates the under-
standing of the internal structure of the gra-
ben. The map portrays the following predomi-
nant morphostructural units occurring in the
Arava graben between the southern end of the
Dead Sea and Nahal Paran:
( 1 ) The northern depression including the
deep Samra secondary graben located in the
axial part of the Rift. The northern segment of
this secondary graben coincides with the pres-
ently known southernmost boundary of the
Lisan formation. It appears that the two seg-
ments are separated by a NW-SE striking fault.
(2) The southern shallow depression.
(3) An uplifted central horst separating the
northern and southern basins.
A MORPHOTECTON1C MAP DERIVED FROM ISOBASELINES 313

--W-- -E-
HAZEVA 4 2 0 HAZEVA 424b HAZEVA 424a HAZEVA 5 &50
USL
m
I
-130
~ +10(-148) N. A R A V A
-150

-I7

. - . . _

-190
~ ~ / ~ 'o°~LISAN Fro.
-210
H,° o "o\
< ~ - v . : i " ° o' 7, o° o°\
-250 > ~ ~ / ~t:..".:..> '- - --
I~1
~ . " ~ - . j ' ~~ . ' . " ..'.. "
oo o 7, t °
o <1~
-250

-270
~ ~ ~ ' . . 3 / ~ . , ~, , " ~zg.e o o o
-290 7 ,F o : o.O0NO.,,,.
I
..... ".'.;: .''' .. f~ ~ fj T. 0 . 1 4 6 ~__ "
-310
• " ' '." " ~ = o 155.5 o

-330
0 o o

-350
o([) o
o o o o
-:570
o o o
- 390
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Km.
I I I i I i I~1 o o
-410 o
o o o c,
1:0.261
-430
_m^uu H A Z E V A 420 HAZEVA424b HAZEVA 424a HAZEVA5&5a

-zoo " " ." " " "

['''.
'" .... :""'"'""
"-'i .G'I.D-R-O.'N'-"
" :M' b" r". '" " '"". ' ": -',~. ' .". ' "':. . . .:'" t " " "G: V6:R"d'h:]:"Mbr
• . . . . . . . . . .
':'"::
=
. . . . " : '" " ' ~ "~
~ S A M 1 R A R L SAN
-
Fro.
"-

--3001"'I ' "'" "" "" ": " ' " "" . . . . ' "..'.' .. .... v :':;'It-'-:--LM-A-S-H-'A
- O - - £ ' f / r - - '-'---M--hr" - - -- - I I °I ,Io" .-°IFm° °"
(a) - 4001" / JI.° = °

Fig. 6. Regional cross-section through the study area (for location of sections, see Fig. 5a). (a) Southern geological cross-
section drawn through wells H a z e v a 420 to H a z e v a 5 a n d 5A. (b, overleaf) N o r t h e r n geological cross-section d r a w n
through wells H a z e v a 9 a n d Hazeva 15T. (c, o v e r l e a f ) Geological cross-section from the lower course of Nahal Hazeva
(after Yechieli et al., 1988 ).

(4) A N - S elongated 5-7 km wide basin oc- dence from boreholes Hazeva 5, 5A, 424a and
curring in the southeastern part of the study b and 420, as portrayed in Figs. 6a and 6b. An-
area. This basin which developed in a second- other prominent field evidence supporting this
ary graben, is limited to the east by the margins conclusion is the structure of the Hufeira block
of the Rift and to the west, by a fault, striking located east of Ein Yahav (Figs. 4a and 4b).
NNE-SSW and extending over a distance of 30 (6) Several young, rapidly uplifting struc-
km. tures outlined by radial drainage systems. Golts
(5) West of Nahal Arava and north of the (1988) suggested that these structures may
Sapir and Ein Yahav settlements, the subsur- represent buried salt domes.
face structure is dominated by a system of en All identified structures seem quite reason-
echelon striking tilted horsts tracing N N E - able in view of what one might expect in a typ-
SSW and creating on their western slopes, ramp ical rift valley in which saline deposits have
valleys. This conclusion is based upon evi- been accumulating.
314 S. GOLTS AND E. ROSENTHAL

-NW- -SE-
m

-I00 HAZEVA 9 HAZEVA 1ST

-200
~
~ _~-- ' ~ --~__
'.Z-~-_~,-~.

/
-'

D R 0
2~?

m
N
--

m
Mbr.
-_' --

[[ I I 1 I¸
-300
EOCENE
--- "'--~M A_ S H A Q Mbr.'--

~ H .ALHA Q : Mhr._~II~PER~
~ M I-~DD 1 - ~ E O C E N~v~-"
~ ? ._ __? _
-400

CR ETACEOUS
Irlll
I[ 1 I I
~
±IEiO C E~N E ,
' ~ i
I
l
I 1. I

i
(b) 0 '~ 2' 3Kin

-W- E
S A M R• A ~ YO
. U. N .G . .C O. N G L -"
Fro. ~ " . - ~ ' ~ NAHAL HAZEVA l ' - ~ ' ' S "u ........ f:":' ; '

......... ~q;L:- . " ' . . ~ . . . . . . . . . ~ LISAN

(c) o.. . . 11. 59.

Fig. 6. ( c o n t i n u e d ) .

Conclusions described in the present paper may serve as a

structural background for designing detailed
In young sedimentary basins shaped by fault investigations such as seismic surveys or ex-
tectonics, such as the Arava, the morphotec- plorative drilling or for the rational planning
tonic map derived by isobase methodology as of hydrometric observation networks. Mor-
A MORPHOTECTON1C MAP DERIVED FROM ISOBASE LINES
p h o t e c t o n i c m a p s m a y also s e r v e as a struc-
t u r a l f r a m e w o r k f a c i l i t a t i n g the p r e p a r a t i o n o f
i n f e r r e d g r o u n d w a t e r flow m a p s .
Acknowledgements
T h e a u t h o r s e x p r e s s t h e i r g r a t i t u d e to Prof.
D a n B o w m a n f r o m the D e p a r t m e n t o f G e o g -
r a p h y , Ben G u r i o n U n i v e r s i t y in B e e r Sheva,
Israel a n d to Prof. A s h e r Schick f r o m the D e -
p a r t m e n t o f P h y s i c a l G e o g r a p h y , I n s t i t u t e for
E a r t h Sciences, H e b r e w U n i v e r s i t y J e r u s a l e m ,
for critically r e a d i n g the m a n u s c r i p t a n d i m -
p r o v i n g it b y i m p o r t a n t c o r r e c t i o n s a n d
suggestions.
References
Filosofov, V.P., 1960. Brief guide to morphometric meth-
ods in search of tectonic structures. Saratov Univ. Publ.
House, Saratov (in Russian).
Gary, M., McAfee, R. and Wolf, C. (Editors), 1973.
Glossary of Geology. 2nd. printing. Am. Geol. Inst.,
Washington, 806 pp.
Golts, S., 198 l. Morphostructural analysis of the Halutza
area. Rep. 81/22, Oil Exploration Investments Co.,
Ltd., Tel Aviv.
315
Golts, S., 1986. Morphometric analysis of the Shivta site
area. Tahal Consult. Eng. Ltd., Tel Aviv, unpubl.
Golts, S., 1988. The Hazeva aquifer, east and west of Na-
hal Arava. Morphotectonic methods for identifying
buried geological structures and salinization process.
Tahal Consult. Eng. Ltd., Tel Aviv, unpubl. (in
Hebrew).
Golts, S.. 1989. Structure, tectonic development and pa-
leogeomorphology of northern Arava and their hydro-
geological implications. Morphoproject Consult.
Group, Jerusalem, unpubl. (in Hebrew ).
Gravelius, H.. 1914. Flusskunde. Goschcn'sche Verlag-
shandlung, Berlin, 176 pp.
Hack, J.T., 1960. Interpretation of erosional topography
in humid temperate regions. Am. J. Sci., 258A: 80-97.
Horton, R.E., 1945. Erosional development of streams and
their drainage basins: hydrophysical approach to
quantitative morphology. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 56: 275-
370.
Strahler, A.N., 1957. Quantitative analysis of watershed
geomorphology. Am. Geophys. Union Trans., 38 (6):
913-920.
Yechieli, Y., Sneh, A. and Livnat, A,, 1988. Tectonics and
Neogene-Quaternary Stratigraphy of the northern Ar-
ava area: Hazeva area. Guidebook to geological field
trips, Dead Sea and Northern Arava Areas. Geological
Society of Israel, Annual Meeting 1988, pp. 68-82.
Yechieli, Y., Starinsky, A. and Rosenthal, E., 1992. The
evolution of brackish groundwater in a typical arid re-
gion: Arava Rift Valley, southern Israel. Appl. Geo-
chem., 7(4): 361-374.