Collapse of the Infrastructure along the Dead Sea Shores

   In the last decade, hundreds of sinkholes have developed along the shores of the Dead Sea. These constitute a danger to life and property, disrupt the ongoing life in the area, and hurt development and construction. The Geological Survey and the Geophysical Institute are carrying out a joint comprehensive study aimed at understanding the geological mechanisms operating in the subsurface that are responsible for the formation of the sinkholes on the surface. Integrating field studies, aerial photographs and the data obtained from the subsurface, enable proposing a hydrogeological model for the formation of the sinkholes.

   Because of the extent of the phenomenon and its destructive effect, the project focuses on methodical definition and mapping of the hazardous areas and in implementing a series of experiments (including boreholes, pumping water, hydrological observations and monitoring). Several boreholes have been drilled and a first draft of a hazard map has been prepared. Near future work includes defining the hydraulic parameters in the system as a first stage in developing preventive measures for curbing the processes.