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New Data about the Tectonic Structure of the Arabian Plate by Interpretation of Space images
Dr. Eng. M. Rukieh
General Organization of Remote Sensing
Director General
Abstract
Space images provides, due to their distinguished characteristics, important data about geological structures and help in preparing geologic and tectonic maps of different scales for any region around the world. From this standpoint, multispectral space images (TM) have been used for studying the tectonic position of the Arabian Plate. As a result, regional and tectonic maps have been prepared for this plate in scales ranging between 13000000/1- 2000000/1. These maps included mainly the annular structures and lineaments. We have got the following results:
- The study has shown that remote sensing techniques and space images allow accurately and clearly the preparation of tectonic maps for the annular structures and lineaments from continental and regional level to very detailed one.
- The Arabian Plate is characterized by the existence of 3 annular basic-compound structures, the first one is very large (more than 1000km in diameter), the Red Sea divided it in two parts, the right part appears in this plate. The second one is located to the north of the Arabian Plate, in Iraqi, Syrian and Jordanian lands; it is large of 350km in diameter. The third one is located in Saudi Arabia to the west of Arab Gulf, its diameter is 150km, and it is crossed by many regional faults.
- Within the Arabian Plate there are many hundreds of annular structures (middle, small and very small), their diameters range from 100km to several hundred meters, which are crossed by many faults of different directions.
- The Arabian Plate is distinguished by the existence of the Arab rift zone on its western borders, this rift extended from the Red Sea in the south passing through AlAkabaa Gulf, Dead Sea, Teberias lake, Lebanses Boukaa and the Syrian Ghab till Turkey where it heads north east towards the Arminian plateau The plate moves through this rift towards north by 0.5-1cm per year.
- Our study showed also, that the Arabian plate is distinguished by the existence of five systems of regional faults, which extend towards north west and south east, starting from AlAkabaa Gulf in the western south till the Arabian Gulf in the east. Paralleled to the plate are the faults which are spread in the Iranian -Iraqi lands to the north east of Arabian Gulf in the south east side of Tourous- Zagharous belt. Also there are some faults of north east or north directions.
- The Arabian Plate is distinguished by huge basaltic volcanic eruptions along the faults of north west, south east direction, they cover an area about 80000km2 in the Saudi Arabia, Jordan and south of Syria, this area is considered as one of the most important volcanic areas around the world.
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