New regional gravity and magnetic maps of the Levant

A new compilation of regional gravity and magnetic maps of the Levant, based on detailed local maps and data bases for various parts of the region, is presented. The most apparent feature of the Levant gravity map is the regional high associated with the Mediterranean basin. High values extend eastward on land to the Dead Sea rift (DSR), suggesting a relatively thin basic crust under northern Israel and Lebanon. The magnetic pattern offers additional evidence on the transform nature of the DSR; it also suggests that the Gulf of Suez is associated with an arcuate lineament which extends in a NNE direction, deep into the Mediterranean Sea, possibly up to the Cyprean Arc. This apparent lineament may indicate an ancient shear zone.