Funding Agency: NASA; Period 2023-2026
We are applying a multi-disciplinary study to characterize the nature of active deformation along the Suez Rift. The Rift comprises an integral segment of the Afro-Arabian rift system, the largest rift system on Earth. Despite being widely cited as an example of failed rifts, the Suez Rift is still experiencing tectonic signals, as evidenced by the seismological record and GNSS data. Yet, the origin of this tectonic activity is poorly understood. Two competing hypotheses were proposed: (1) fault reactivation under the far stresses of the distant Dead Sea Transform (DST), and (2) extensional strain in the Suez Rift at lower rates. We investigate the origin of the tectonic signals in the Suez rifting, test the competing hypotheses, and define the potential geohazards related to this tectonic activity. A multi-disciplinary approach (InSAR analysis, GNSS data analysis, seismology, integrated with structural and tectono-morphic analyses and age dating (Optical Stimulated Luminescence [OSL] and cosmogenic nucleoids) on both sides of the Suez Rift will be implemented.