The 457 m-long core was drilled from the Dead Sea depocenter during 2010-2011. It covers the past 220 kyr and its age model is built on a combination of 14C and U-Th dating, and δ18O stratigraphy correlation. The recovered sequence comprises seven basic facies which can be classified into four groups, (I) evaporites and related facies: halite, gypsum, and aragonite-detritus laminae (including in situ deformed ones), (II) slump facies, (III) debrite facies and graded turbidite facies, and (IV) homogeneous mud.
The different deposits are identified through their grain size, magnetic susceptibility, and chemical features. The units of homogeneous mud are composed of clay-fine silts without graded bedding. They are showing only relatively small variations in grain size, magnetic susceptibility, Ti and Ca. In contrast, the lower parts of graded turbidites are made up of coarse silts-fine sands and exhibit upward-decreasing particle size, increasing magnetic susceptibility and Ti, and large variations in Ca from bottom to top. Low content of Ti and Ca, and small values in magnetic susceptibility characterize debrites that are composed of coarse sands and are predominantly ungraded.
Homogeneous muds are frequent and thick during interglacials, and less frequent and thinner during glacials. Graded turbidites are frequent but thin during interglacials, and less frequent but thicker during glacials. The fraction of homogeneous mud during interglacials is much higher than during glacials. In addition, the fraction of turbidites and debrites during glacials is much higher than during interglacials. Furthermore, during individual interglacials, the thickness fraction of homogeneous mud is one to ten times higher than turbidites and debrites. In contrast, during individual glacials, the fraction of turbidites and debrites is one to two times as much as homogeneous mud. The dataset reveals (1) overflows are more prominent during interglacials, while underflows are more prominent during glacials; (2) orbital-scale climate changes affected the intensity-frequency of the flows via changing salinity and density of lake brine, lake-level, and source materials.
