INDICATORS OF FAULTING EVENTS AND PERIODS OF QUIESCENCE IN DESERT ALLUVIAL FANS

The main objective of the present paper is to present an integrated ap proach to the study of faulting stages in coarse alluvial deposits. Th e study site is the alluvial fan of Nahal Shehoret, presently under an extremely arid regime. The exposure of fault scarps on the fan surfac es enables the identification of several geomorphic indicators employe d in analysing and separating faulting events and periods of quiescenc e: (a) the nature of fault scarp topography; (b) soil catenary develop ment on fault scarps; (c) buried paleosols in alluvial deposits; (d) c olluvial bodies; (e) rotated clasts along fault planes. These indicato rs enable us to determine, at all sites studied, the total amount of d isplacement, to separate faulting events and the amount of their displ acement per event, and to evaluate scarp stability and the duration of periods of tectonic quiescence.