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Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing Image Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2025 | Viewed by 8011

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Damien Closson

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Guest Editor

The Ministry of Defense, Brussels, Belgium
Interests: radar remote sensing; GIS; geomorphology; tectonics; ground deformations

Prof. Dr. Djamil Al-Halbouni

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Guest Editor

Institute for Earth System Science and Remote Sensing, University of Leipzig, Talstr. 35, Room 0-11, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Interests: hydrogeophysics; remote sensing; photogrammetry; nat. hazards; numerical modelling; soil; subsidence; karst
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Gidon Baer

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Guest Editor

Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Interests: InSAR; earth surface deformation; volcanoes; earthquakes; sinkholes and subsidence

Dr. Christian Siebert

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Guest Editor

Department Catchment Hydrology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, D-06120 Halle, Germany
Interests: hydrogeology; hydrochemistry; submarine groundwater discharge; thermal remote sensing

Dr. Jorge Sevil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change, Earth Science Department, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: geomorphological mapping; GIS; remote sensing; geological hazards; karst; speleology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Dead Sea Fault (DSF) is a major left-lateral transform fault system extending from the northern Red Sea through the Dead Sea Basin to southeastern Turkey, forming a complex tectonic boundary between the African and Arabian plates. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore the structure, dynamics, surface processes, hazards, and environmental impacts along the entire length of the DSF using remote sensing technologies.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that apply optical, radar, thermal, LiDAR, InSAR, GNSS, UAV, and other Earth observation techniques to topics such as the following:

Active tectonics, fault kinematics, and deformation monitoring;
Sinkholes, landslides, and other natural hazards;
Hydrogeological and geomorphological processes;
Land use change, urbanization, and climate-related impacts;
Long-term time series analyses and innovative processing methods.

Dr. Damien Closson
Prof. Dr. Djamil Al-Halbouni
Dr. Gidon Baer
Dr. Christian Siebert
Dr. Jorge Sevil
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Dead Sea Fault
earth surface deformation
submarine groundwater discharge
multispectral analysis
InSAR
photogrammetry
machine-learning-based remote sensing analysis
vegetation patterns
land use
geomorphology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 8245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dead Sea Stromatolite Reefs: Testing Ground for Remote Sensing Automated Detection of Life Forms and Their Traces in Harsh Environments

by Nuphar Gedulter, Amotz Agnon and Noam Levin

Remote Sens. 2025, 17(9), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17091613 - 1 May 2025

Viewed by 369

Abstract

The Dead Sea is one of the most saline terminal lakes on Earth, and few organisms survive in this harsh environment. In some onshore spring pools, active and diverse microbial communities flourish. In the geological past, microbial-rich environments left their marks in the form of stromatolites. Stromatolites are studied to better understand the appearance of life on Earth and potentially on other planets. Hyperspectral methodologies have been shown to be useful for detecting structures in stromatolites. In an effort to characterize the biosignatures and chemical composition inherent to stromatolites, we created a spectral classification scheme for distinguishing between stromatolites and their bedrock environment—typically carbonatic rocks, mostly dolomites. The overarching aim comprises the development of an automated hyperspectral reflectance method for detecting the presence of stromatolites. We collected and measured 82 field samples with an ASD spectrometer and used our spectral dataset to train three machine learning algorithms (linear regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, XGBoost). The results show the successful detection of stromatolites, with all three prediction methods giving high accuracy rates (stromatolite > 0.9, bedrock dolomite > 0.8). The continuum removal and spectral ratio technique results identified two significant spectral regions, ~1900 nm (water) and ~2310–2320 nm (carbonates), that allow one to differentiate between stromatolites and dolomites. This study establishes the grounds for the automated detection of a fossilized livable environment in a carbonatic terrain based on its hyperspectral reflectance data. The results have significant implications for future mapping efforts and emphasize the feasibility of automated mapping, extending the data acquisition to airborne or satellite-based hyperspectral remote sensing technologies to detect life forms in extreme environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia)

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23 pages, 16575 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remote Sensing of Floodwater-Induced Subsurface Halite Dissolution in a Salt Karst System, with Implications for Landscape Evolution: The Western Shores of the Dead Sea

by Gidon Baer, Ittai Gavrieli, Iyad Swaed and Ran N. Nof

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(17), 3294; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16173294 - 4 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1967

Abstract

We study the interrelations between salt karst and landscape evolution at the Ze’elim and Hever alluvial fans, Dead Sea (DS), Israel, in an attempt to characterize the ongoing surface and subsurface processes and identify future trends. Using light detection and ranging, interferometric synthetic aperture radar, drone photography, time-lapse cameras, and direct measurements of floodwater levels, we document floodwater recharge through riverbed sinkholes, subsurface salt dissolution, groundwater flow, and brine discharge at shoreline sinkholes during the years 2011–2023. At the Ze’elim fan, most of the surface floodwater drains into streambed sinkholes and discharges at shoreline sinkholes, whereas at the Hever fan, only a small fraction of the floodwater drains into sinkholes, while the majority flows downstream to the DS. This difference is attributed to the low-gradient stream profiles in Ze’elim, which enable water accumulation and recharge in sinkholes and their surrounding depressions, in contrast with the higher-gradient Hever profiles, which yield high-energy floods capable of carrying coarse gravel that eventually fill the sinkholes. The rapid drainage of floodwater into sinkholes also involves slope failure due to pore-pressure drop and cohesion loss within hours after each drainage event. Surface subsidence lineaments detected by InSAR indicate the presence of subsurface dissolution channels between recharge and discharge sites in the two fans and in the nearby Lynch straits. Subsidence and streambed sinkholes occur in most other fans and streams that flow to the DS; however, with the exception of Ze’elim, all other streams show only minor or no recharge along their course. This is due to either the high-gradient profiles, the gravelly sediments, the limited floods, or the lack of conditions for sinkhole development in the other streambeds. Thus, understanding the factors that govern the flood-related karst formation is of great importance for predicting landscape evolution in the DS region and elsewhere and for sinkhole hazard assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia)

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14 pages, 2691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Geophysical Methods in Extreme Environments—An Example from the Dead Sea

by Michael Lazar, Linjing Cheng and Uri Basson

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(11), 1978; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16111978 - 30 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1271

Abstract

The application of geophysical methods in saline environments is limited in their ability to discern shallow subsurface geology and tectonics due to the high subsurface conductivity, which can play havoc with the geophysical signal. Recent changes in the hypersaline Dead Sea provided the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness and adequacy of the terrestrial frequency domain electromagnetic (henceforth FDEM) method in such settings. Since the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) 5017-3-C borehole was cored in 2011 in a water depth of ~2.1 m, the lake level has dropped by almost 15 m, exposing some 320 m of a new, salt-encrusted shore. An FDEM survey was carried out on what is now land across the borehole. The results of the survey were compared to downhole gamma ray logging data. Three lithologies were found based on gamma-ray cutoff values, and they are in agreement with changes in apparent electric conductivity. The FDEM survey supplied additional spatial information on the subsurface geology, highlighting areas of fluid flow and fracturing, which were found to be aligned with the trend of small strike-slip faults and earthquake clusters from previous studies. The FDEM method is a reliable way of discerning shallow subsurface geology, even in harsh conditions where other geophysical methods are limited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia)

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30 pages, 27074 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geomorphological Response of Alluvial Streams to Flood Events during Base-Level Lowering: Insights from Drone-Based Photogrammetric Surveys in Dead Sea Tributaries

by Liran Ben Moshe and Nadav G. Lensky

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(8), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16081346 - 11 Apr 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1499

Abstract

The geomorphological impact of base-level lowering on ephemeral alluvial streams has been extensively investigated through fieldwork, experimentation, and modeling. Yet, the understanding of hydrological parameters governing the dynamics of the stream’s geometry during discrete flood events is lacking due to limited direct measurements of flood-scale erosion/deposition. The emergence of novel remote sensing methods allows for quantifying morphological modifications caused by floods in alluvial streams. This study utilizes drone surveys and hydrological data to quantitatively investigate the relation between channel evolution in alluvial tributaries draining to the receding Dead Sea and the hydrological characteristics of flash floods. Drone-based photogrammetric surveys were conducted before and after 25 floods, over a period of four years, to generate centimeter-scale Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and orthophoto maps of two major streams. The outcomes of these DEMs are maps of ground elevation changes (erosion/deposition), thalweg longitudinal profiles, and channel cross sections, revealing the incision/aggradation along and across the streams. Statistical comparison of results with flow hydrographs identified potential relations linking the hydrological characteristics of each flood and the corresponding geomorphological modifications. Peak discharge emerged as the primary factor influencing sediment removal, leading to more efficient sediment evacuation and a negative sediment budget with increased discharge. Water volumes of floods also exhibited a secondary effect on the sediment budget. The chronological order of floods, whether first or later in the season, was identified as the primary factor determining incision magnitude. Knickpoints formed at the streams’ outlets during the dry period, when lake-level drops, amplifying the impact of the first flood. These findings have potential implications for infrastructure planning and environmental management in the context of climate change and altered water runoff. The research highlights the efficiency of drone-based photogrammetry for cost-effective and timely data collection, providing invaluable flexibility for field research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia)

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14 pages, 8691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Drainage Mechanisms of Submerged Sinkholes

by Assaf Tsabar, Eyal Shalev, Amir Sagy and Yizhaq Makovsky

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(18), 4384; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15184384 - 6 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Subsurface salt layer dissolution along the western shores of the Dead Sea is considered to be the primary cause for extensive large sinkhole formation in the past 40 years. Many of these sinkholes are arranged in clusters and are filled with water from nearby springs. The Mineral Beach resort was built in an area with a thermal spring with water emerging at around 40 °C at the Shalem sinkhole cluster. Unfortunately, the same spring was responsible for the destruction of the resort as it supplied water undersaturated with respect to halite, which promoted dissolution and sinkhole formation. The sinkholes in the Shalem cluster drain out in sudden catastrophic events and then slowly fill again. The drainage mechanisms of this phenomenon are studied in the Shalem-2 sinkhole cluster using leveling data collectors and ground-based LiDAR surveys over a period of 5 years, including thirty-five drainage events. Drainage volume and fluxes calculated using water level and topographic data obtained by LiDAR scans suggest that the formation of additional sinkholes beneath the pond’s bottom triggers drainage events. The subsequent flux shows that the evolution of the newly formed sinkholes either improves the hydraulic connection or temporarily seals the connection between the surface pond and deeper caverns/aquifers. The drainage event ends when either the hydraulic connection is sealed or when the level of water in the pond drops to the level of the newly formed sinkhole. The large volumes of drained water and drainage fluxes imply the existence of a well-developed active underground draining system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications Along the Dead Sea Fault: From the Red Sea to Anatolia)

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