The Dead Sea Transform runs roughly 1,000 kilometres from the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba northward through the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Lebanon into southern Turkey. It forms the boundary between the Arabian Plate to the east and the African (Sinai) Plate to the west.
It is a left-lateral strike-slip fault slipping at about 4 to 5 millimetres per year, and pull-apart movement along it has opened deep basins, most dramatically the Dead Sea itself, the lowest land point on Earth. The fault has shaped the geography and history of the Levant for millions of years.
The system has generated destructive earthquakes throughout recorded history, including events that repeatedly damaged ancient cities such as Jericho, Beirut and Aleppo. Long quiet periods on some segments, combined with dense modern populations, make future large earthquakes a significant regional concern.