tivity on the carmel faul

1. Introduction
1.1 General introduction
Mt. Carmel, a continental uplift of more than 500m above sea level in the north of Israel,
is a manifestation of tectonic movements. The uplift is defined by a NW to NNW fault, which
is a branch of the Dead Sea transform (DST) system that continues into the Mediterranean
continental shelf (Hofstetter et al., 1989). The Carmel Fault (CF) is observed as a zone of
deformation, rather than a single fault trace (Rotstein et al., 1993). The fault has been active
since the Miocene and evidence for ac<strong>tivity</strong> during the Pleistocene has been documented; yet
very little is known about the extent of seismic ac<strong>tivity</strong> on the CF during the Quaternary
(Gluck, 2002). On August 24 1984, an earthquake of a magnitude (M L ) of 5.3 caused slight
damage in Haifa and adjacent towns (Hofstetter et al., 1996). That earthquake aroused the
interest of many since not much was known about the extent of seismic ac<strong>tivity</strong> in the environs
of Mt. Carmel. It also emphasized the importance of understanding the tectonic regime of that
part of Israel as noted by Hofstetter et al. (1989). In a later article Hofstetter et al., 1996
presented data on a series of about 550 earthquakes (1.0≤M L ≤5.3) along the Carmel-Tirtza fault
during a ten year interval (1984-1994). Their analysis yielded information that further indicates
the significance for understanding this specific fault system and the earthquakes it might
produce.
The record of paleo-earthquakes in the Israel region is based on many independent
sources ranging from historical and archeological evidence to geomorphological and
geological findings (e.g. Amiran et al., 1994; Marco et al., 1996; Ellenblum et al., 1998; Enzel
et al., 2000; Migowski et al., 2004; Begin et al., 2005; Agnon et al. 2006). The possibility of
extending that earthquake catalog, even if limited only to major earthquakes, can provide
fundamental elements for seismotectonic knowledge, seismogenic descriptions and
consequently, the evaluation of seismic hazards of the area.
Scholars (e.g. Becker et al., 2005, 2006; Kagan et al., 2005) agree that a fundamental
aspect of a concise earthquake catalog is based on a multi-archival approach. Using different
types of paleo-earthquake proxies not only enables confirmation of each of the separate
findings, but allows for a better understanding of spatial influence of earthquakes on different
geological environments and their connections to tectonic settings of the region.
Broken or deformed cave deposits (speleo-seismites) can be used for paleoseismic
research since they can be dated with radiometric techniques (e.g. Forti, 1998; Davenport,
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