Geology of Lebanon
The geology of Lebanon remains poorly studied prior to the Jurassic. The country is heavily dominated by limestone, sandstone, other sedimentary rocks, and basalt, defined by its tectonic history. In Lebanon, 70% of exposed rocks are limestone karst. Tectonic situation Lebanon's tectonic history is closely related to the Levant Fracture System, a left-lateral strike-slip fault zone, separating the Arabian Plate from the African Plate. The intracontinental Palmyride fold belt, with a maximum elevation of above sea level, is an important structural feature that dominates much of Lebanon and Syria, extending northeast towards the Euphrates Graben from the Levant Fracture System. The fold belt extends in total, with fold wavelengths of . The fold belt forms ridges and small depressions filled with clastic material from the Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary. Geologists debate whether the Anti-Lebanon Mountains are part of the southern extent of the fold belt and whether some faults are detached in Triassic-Kurrachine evaporate deposits. The northern and southern Palmyrides are divided by the Jhar Fault, which runs east to west. Because of differing depths to metamorphic basement rocks on different ends of the Palmyrides, some geologists have suggested that the Jhar Fault might be the remains of a Pan-African