Publication Date:
2010-09-13
Description:
The tectonic history of the central part of the Levant domain (Lebanon) is re-evaluated. Examination of the tectonic structures and mechanical analysis of the meso-scale brittle deformation indicate that Lebanon has experienced four major tectonic events since Late Mesozoic time. The first was an Early Cretaceous extensional phase orientated north-south to NNE-SSW. It produced WSW-ENE to WNW-ESE normal faults with offsets up to several hundreds of meters and led to the development of an approximately WNW-ESE-trending basin. A second extension, with similar driving stresses, occurred during Eocene time and persisted, perhaps until Oligocene times. The Early Neogene period marked a dramatic change in the structural evolution of Lebanon after which strike-slip and reverse faulting and folding dominated. During Early Miocene times, an east-west compression produced moderate folding and faulting. A second, but much more severe, folding event occurred during Late Miocene time owing to a NNW-SSE compression. This new tectonic history allows the discussion of several aspects of the Eastern Mediterranean basin development and the later deformation of its continental margin and surroundings, in particular: (1) the driving mechanisms of the Levant basin opening; (2) the inversion of its adjacent margin; and (3) the age, origin, and evolution of the restraining bend of the Dead Sea Transform in Lebanon.
