Shallow seismic reflection study at the Margaliot site in the Upper Galilee, Israel

Recently, the Geophysical Institute of Israel (GIl) carried out a high resolution seismic reflection survey at the Margaliot site in the Upper Galilee, near the town of Qiryat Shemona. The site was considered for construction of a new quarter of the town, and the seismic survey was a part of the site investigation project. The study area is located on a south-north elongated fault block which is a part of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) system. The block is bounded by two faults: the active and seismogenic Roum fault, a major strand of the DST to the east, and the Margaliot fault, a secondary strand of the DST to the west. The area has undergone extensive intemal deformation by faulting and folding. Two systems of faults dissect the area. Faults of the first system trending SE - NW show clear indication of lateral displacement. Faults of the second system trending NE - SW can be recognized in the field by stratigraphic displacement only; therefore, the nature of faulting could not be identify in the field. The aim of the survey was to detect and map fault zones and landslide areas in the shallow subsurface (upper 100-150 m) and to establish their relationship to the main morphological features revealed by aerial photographs and by surface geological mapping.