Magmatic Intrusions and Lava-sheets in the Raman area of the Nagev (Southern Israel)

Abstract

Southern Israel is traversed by a series of north-easterly trending anticlines, the largest of which is the Raman anticline. Here a deep erosion-cirque exposes a sedimentary succession from the Cenomanian down to the Triassic, including a series of magmatic rocks of highly alkaline affinities. The forms of these magmatic bodies are described in detail and from their field-relationships with the sediments it is shown that they include a stock, a laccolith, sills, dykes, and a basaltic flow. This igneous activity took place between Lower Triassic and Upper Jurassic times and was perhaps restricted only to the Jurassic. Comparison with the surrounding areas leads to the conclusion that the Raman region was the centre of magmatic activity during this period.