# Sharon Escarpment

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Mediterranean Sea escarpment in Israel

[32°24′00″N 34°52′59″E / 32.400°N 34.883°E / 32.400; 34.883](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Sharon_Escarpment&params=32.400_N_34.883_E_)

Sharon plain within the [Israeli coastal plain](/source/Israeli_coastal_plain)

The **Sharon Escarpment**[1] or **Sharon Cliff**[2] is the [escarpment](/source/Escarpment) in [Israel](/source/Israel) that connects the level of the [coastal plain](/source/Coastal_plain) with the level of the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea) beach and the [continental shelf](/source/Continental_shelf) and stretches along the **Sharon coastal ridge** approximately between [Giv'at Olga](/source/Giv'at_Olga) and [Tel Aviv](/source/Tel_Aviv), i.e., along the [Sharon plain](/source/Sharon_plain).[1]

The escarpment is up to 45m in height, of steepness 75-90°. Both the ridge and the escarpment are composed of alternating layers of *[kurkar](/source/Kurkar)* (the local variety of [sandstone](/source/Sandstone)) and loose [palaeosol](/source/Palaeosol).[2] The escarpment gradually moves eastward due to collapsing and [slumping](/source/Slump_(geology)) seawards. The separated slabs of *kurkar* slide downwards and crumble completely into fans of sand, swashed away by waves. The catchment area of the escarpment is visibly eroded by [runoff](/source/Surface_runoff), but this erosion is negligible compared to rockslides and slumps.[1]

The escarpment is threatened by road building, sand quarrying, drainage, slope grading, and other uncontrolled tampering with the topography. [1] Coastal erosion of the [Israeli coastal plain](/source/Israeli_coastal_plain) endangers ancient cities, such as [Ashkelon](/source/Ashkelon), [Yavne-Yam](/source/Yavne-Yam), [Jaffa](/source/Jaffa), [Apollonia–Arsuf](/source/Apollonia%E2%80%93Arsuf), [Caesarea](/source/Caesarea_Maritima), [Atlit](/source/Ch%C3%A2teau_P%C3%A8lerin), [Akko](/source/Akko) and [Achziv](/source/Achziv).[2]

The ridge was formed during the [Late Pleistocene](/source/Late_Pleistocene) and the cliff developed when at about 7,500 years [Before Present](/source/Before_Present) (BP) the sea level reached the western edge of the current ridge. Now this edge is at about 8 m. below the sea level. [2]

Galil and Zviely suggest that over these 7,500 years the cliff retreated for about 730m, i.e., at the rate about 9.7 cm. per year.[2]

## Gallery

		- Sharon Trail

		- A rock in the [Olga Beach Nature Reserve](/source/Olga_Beach_Nature_Reserve)

		- A coast near Arsuf

		- Cliffs near Arsuf

		- Old quarry at the edge of the Sharon plain

## See also

- [List of escarpments](/source/List_of_escarpments)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-peal_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-peal_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-peal_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-peal_1-3) I. Perath, G. Almagor, [The Sharon Escarpment (Mediterranean coast, Israel): Stability, dynamics, risks and environmental management](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286733732_The_Sharon_Escarpment_Mediterranean_coast_Israel_Stability_dynamics_risks_and_environmental_management), *Journal of Coastal Research*, vol. 16, no. 1, 2000 pp. 207-224

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gazvi_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gazvi_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-gazvi_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-gazvi_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-gazvi_2-4) E. Galil, D. Zviely, ["Geo-archaeological markers reveal magnitude and rates of Israeli coastal cliff erosion and retreat"](https://www.proquest.com/openview/5ebd669916066e7db64eb20bb2a6f906/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=54471), *Journal of Coastal Conservation*, Vol. 23, Issue. 4, 2019, pp. 747-758, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s11852-018-0644-7](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11852-018-0644-7)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sharon Escarpment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Escarpment) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Escarpment?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.