TheJordan Rift Valley, alsoJordan Valley (Modern Hebrew:בקעת הירדן Bik'at Hayarden,Biblical Hebrew:בִּקְעָת הַיַרְדֵּן,romanized: Biqʿāṯ hay-Yardēn,Arabic:الغور,romanized: al-Ghawr), is an elongatedendorheic basin located in modern-dayIsrael,Jordan, andPalestine. This geographic region includes the entire length of theJordan River from its sources, through theHula Valley, theKorazim Plateau, theSea of Galilee, theJordan Valley, all the way to theDead Sea, the lowest land elevation on Earth – and then continues through theArabah depression, theGulf of Aqaba whose shorelines it incorporates, until finally reaching theRed Sea proper at theStraits of Tiran.

The Jordan Rift Valley was formed many millions of years ago in theMiocene (23.8 – 5.3 Myr ago) when theArabian plate moved northward and then eastward away from Africa. One million years later, the land between theMediterranean Sea and the Jordan Rift Valley rose so that seawater stopped flooding the area. Alternatively, the disconnection may have been caused by a fall in sea level, or by a combination of both factors—researchers have not yet reached a consensus.

The geological and environmental evolution of the valley since its inception in theOligocene can be seen in a variety of sedimentary and magmatic rock units, preserved as continuous sequences in the deeper basins. The outcropping formations around the basins represent alternating deposition and erosion phases.^[1]

The lowest point in the Jordan Rift Valley is in the Dead Sea, the lowest spot of which is 790 m (2,590 ft) below sea level.^{[dubious –discuss]} The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest dry land spot on Earth, at 400 m (1,300 ft) below sea level. With its flanks rising sharply to almost 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level in the west, and similarly in the east, the rift is a significant topographic feature over which a few narrow paved roads and difficult mountain tracks lead.^[2] The valley north of the Dead Sea has long been a site of agriculture because of water available from the Jordan River and numerous springs located on the valley's flanks.

The plate boundary that extends through the valley is variously called the Dead Sea Transform (DST) or Dead Sea Rift. The boundary separates the Arabian plate from theAfrican plate, connecting the divergent plate boundary in theRed Sea (theRed Sea Rift) to theEast Anatolian Fault inTurkey.^[3]

The DST fault system is generally considered to be a transform fault that has accommodated a 105-kilometre (65 mi) northwards displacement of the Arabian plate.^[4][5] This interpretation is based on observation of offset markers, such as river terraces, gullies and archaeological features, giving horizontal slip rates of several mm per year over the last few million years.^[6]GPS data give similar rates of present-day movement of the Arabian plate relative to the Africa plate.^[7] It has also been proposed that the fault zone is a rift system that is an incipient oceanic spreading center, the northern extension of the Red Sea Rift.^[8]

The rift valley was struck by the1033 Jordan Valley earthquake, believed to have been produced along the DST fault system.^[9] It caused widespread destruction, a tsunami, and killed 70,000 people.^[10]

The 1033 AD event was the last large earthquake on the Jordan Valley Fault. Given the estimated slip rate is 4.9 ± 0.2 mm (0.1929 ± 0.0079 in) per year, approximately 5 m (16 ft) of potential slip has been accumulated. An estimated 3.5–5 m (11–16 ft) of slip could be produced during a future earthquake along a 110 km (68 mi) × 20 km (12 mi) fault area. Such an event would suggest an earthquake of M_w  7.4, posing a great seismic threat to the region.^[11]

In late 2020, researchers atTel Aviv University said that an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 is expected to occur in the area, resulting in many fatalities. Researchers also stated that the frequency of large earthquakes in the region is significantly underestimated.^[12] Previous studies suggested a recurrence interval of 10,000 years for magnitude 7.5 earthquakes, but the researchers said the figure was 1,300 to 1,400 years.^[13]Yosef Shapira, the thenState Comptroller of Israel, said that a major earthquake in Israel could kill up to 7,000 people if safety recommendations are not enforced. Reports of the years 2001, 2004 and 2011 found that the Israeli government did not fund any retrofitting works to old construction. Although the government said in 2008 that it would retrofit hospitals and schools, no major changes were made.^[14]

• Geography of Israel
• Geography of Jordan
• Great Rift Valley

32°19′02″N35°34′12″E / 32.31722°N 35.57000°E /32.31722; 35.57000

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• Valleys of Asia
• Jordan River basin
• Cenozoic geology of Asia
• Cenozoic rifts and grabens
• Dead Sea
• Great Rift Valley
• Geography of Palestine (region)
• Landforms of Jordan
• Valleys of the West Bank
• Levant
• Regions of Israel
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• Rifts and grabens
• Valleys of Israel
• Depressions of Israel
• Depressions of Jordan

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