Scheck Et Al 2003

Salt movements in the Northeast German Basin and its relation to

major post-Permian tectonic phases—results from 3D structural

modelling, backstripping and reflection seismic data

Magdalena Scheck*, Ulf Bayer, Bjorn Lewerenz

GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Albert-Einstein-Strasse, Telegrafenberg Haus C, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

Received 14 October 2002; accepted 8 November 2002

Abstract

The NW–SE-striking Northeast German Basin (NEGB) forms part of the Southern Permian Basin and contains up to 8 km

of Permian to Cenozoic deposits. During its polyphase evolution, mobilization of the Zechstein salt layer resulted in a complex

structural configuration with thin-skinned deformation in the basin and thick-skinned deformation at the basin margins. We

investigated the role of salt as a decoupling horizon between its substratum and its cover during the Mesozoic deformation by

integration of 3D structural modelling, backstripping and seismic interpretation. Our results suggest that periods of Mesozoic

salt movement correlate temporally with changes of the regional stress field structures. Post-depositional salt mobilisation was

weakest in the area of highest initial salt thickness and thickest overburden. This also indicates that regional tectonics is

responsible for the initiation of salt movements rather than stratigraphic density inversion.

Salt movement mainly took place in post-Muschelkalk times. The onset of salt diapirism with the formation of N–S-

oriented rim synclines in Late Triassic was synchronous with the development of the NNE–SSW-striking Rheinsberg Trough

due to regional E–W extension. In the Middle and Late Jurassic, uplift affected the northern part of the basin and may have

induced south-directed gravity gliding in the salt layer. In the southern part, deposition continued in the Early Cretaceous.

However, rotation of salt rim synclines axes to NW–SE as well as accelerated rim syncline subsidence near the NW–SE-

striking Gardelegen Fault at the southern basin margin indicates a change from E–Wextension to a tectonic regime favoring the

activation of NW–SE-oriented structural elements. During the Late Cretaceous–Earliest Cenozoic, diapirism was associated

with regional N–S compression and progressed further north and west. The Mesozoic interval was folded with the formation of

WNW-trending salt-cored anticlines parallel to inversion structures and to differentially uplifted blocks. Late Cretaceous–Early

Cenozoic compression caused partial inversion of older rim synclines and reverse reactivation of some Late Triassic to Jurassic

normal faults in the salt cover. Subsequent uplift and erosion affected the pre-Cenozoic layers in the entire basin. In the

Cenozoic, a last phase of salt tectonic deformation was associated with regional subsidence of the basin. Diapirism of the

maturest pre-Cenozoic salt structures continued with some Cenozoic rim synclines overstepping older structures. The difference

between the structural wavelength of the tighter folded Mesozoic interval and the wider Cenozoic structures indicates different

tectonic regimes in Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic.

0040-1951/02/$ - see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(02)00650-9

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +49-331-288-13-45; fax: +49-331-288-13-49.

E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M. Scheck), [email protected] (U. Bayer), [email protected] (B. Lewerenz).

www.elsevier.com/locate/tecto

Tectonophysics 361 (2003) 277–299

We suggest that horizontal strain propagation in the brittle salt cover was accommodated by viscous flow in the decoupling

salt layer and thus salt motion passively balanced Late Triassic extension as well as parts of Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary

compression.

D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Mesozoic tectonics; Basin analysis; Basin modelling; Salt tectonics; Backstripping; Seismic data; North German Basin; North

Central Europe; Southern Permian Basin

1. Introduction

The North–East German Basin (NEGB) forms part

of a basin system extending from the Southern North

Sea across the North German Basin to Northern

Poland (Fig. 1). It represents a sub-basin of the

Southern Permian Basin (Ziegler, 1990) and contains

up to 8 km of Permian to Cenozoic deposits (Schwab,

1985; Bachmann and Grosse, 1989; Scheck and

Bayer, 1999). The present-day NEGB is limited to

the south by the Elbe Fault System which was

observed by geological (Ludwig, 1983; Stackebrandt

and Franzke, 1989) and geophysical methods (Schret-

zenmayr, 1993; Thybo, 1990; Scheck and Bayer,

1999; Bayer et al., 1999). The kinematics of the Elbe

Fault System is still debated (Schretzenmayr, 1993;

Stackebrandt and Franzke, 1989; Scheck, 1997;

Franke and Hoffmann, 1999a,b). Within this paper,

we refer to the Elbe Fault System as a system of

WNW–ESE-striking faults at the southern basin mar-

gin extending parallel to the river Elbe.

A huge amount of geological and geophysical data

has been acquired in the NEGB (e.g. Muller et al., 1993

and references therein; Hoth et al., 1993; DEKORP

BASIN Research Group, 1998, 1999) and interpreted

during the last 40 years in the course of industrial and

scientific investigations (e.g. ZGI, 1968 –1990;

Schwab, 1985; Bachmann and Hoffman, 1997; Bach-

mann and Grosse, 1989; McCann, 1996; DEKORP

BASIN Research Group, 1998, 1999; Krawczyk et al.,

1999; Scheck and Bayer, 1999; Bayer et al., 1999;

Scheck et al., 1999). The available released fraction of

these data (courtesy of Erdol Erdgas Gommern) per-

mitted the construction of a 3D-structural model inte-

grating the main sedimentary units of the basin fill with

their preserved thickness. This model images regional,

depositional and structural trends (see Scheck and

Bayer, 1999; Scheck, 1997 for details on database,

model construction and individual isopach maps).

Previous investigations revealed that the NEGB

underwent a polyphase evolution (Schwab, 1985).

After an initial volcanic episode during Late Carbon-

iferous to Early Permian (Benek et al., 1996; Breitk-

reuz and Kennedy, 1999), a period of thermal

subsidence lasting from Permian to Late Triassic

followed (Scheck and Bayer, 1999; Van Wees et al.,

2000) during which the Zechstein salt was deposited

in the Late Permian. In the Late Triassic, a second

extensional phase affected the basin. This was fol-

lowed by an uplift of the northern part of the basin in

Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous and a phase of com-

pression during Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary

(Schwab, 1985; Scheck and Bayer, 1999; Van Wees

et al., 2000). Throughout the different evolution

phases, about 57000 km3 of mobile Zechstein salt

influenced the deformation style and led to tectonic

decoupling between the substratum of the salt and its

cover (Scheck and Bayer, 1999).

Salt deformation has been studied by many scien-

tists in the North German Basin (e.g.: Trusheim, 1957,

1960; Sannemann, 1968; Meinhold and Reinhardt,

1967; Jaritz, 1987; Ruhberg, 1976; Schwab, 1985;

Kockel, 1995, 1996; Zirngast, 1996; Benoix et al.,

1997). A main question concerned the role of salt

during Mesozoic deformation. It is known that salt

diapirism was initiated during the Late Triassic

(Keuper) in the North German Basin (Trusheim,

1957). Two causal theories have been proposed. One

theory suggests that salt movement is due to buoyancy

and is a possible cause for ‘germanotype’ deformation

assuming a relationship between highest initial salt

thickness and strongest halokinetic deformation (e.g.

Trusheim, 1957). This concept is contradicted by the

observation that salt deformation decreases to the

centre of the Zechstein basin in the NEGB (Schwab,

1985; Benoix et al., 1997; Scheck and Bayer, 1999). In

addition, the results of Vendeville and Jackson (1992)

and Schultz-Ela et al. (1993) showed that active pierc-

M. Scheck et al. / Tectonophysics 361 (2003) 277–299278

Fig. 1. Distribution of salt structures in the Southern Permian Basin (after Jaritz, 1987; Nalpas and Brun, 1993; Remmelts, 1995; Kockel, 1996; Lokhorst, 1998; this study). The

Northeast German Basin in the eastern part of the Southern Permian Basin is presently limited to the south by the Elbe Fault System (EFS, thick black dashed line) along which a

change in orientation of salt structures is obvious. North of the EFS, N-trending salt structures correlate spatially with Late Triassic–Jurassic extensional structures, whereas south of

the EFS, NW-oriented salt structures correlate with Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous basins inverted during Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary. The thin dashed line approximately

delineates the Southern Permian Basin (f 200-m isopach of Lower Permian Rotliegend sediments). The rectangle locates the 3D structural model of the NEGB.

M.Scheck

etal./Tecto

nophysics

361(2003)277–299

279

ing due to stratigraphic density inversion can only

modify diapirs initiated by other mechanisms.

The onset of salt mobilisation as a consequence of

the changing regional tectonic stress field was

explained by the second theory (Jaritz, 1987). A prob-

lem in the application of this concept to the NEGB was

the almost complete lack of basement faults in the area

of the basin. However, Vendeville and Jackson (1992)

showed that regional extension can initiate and drive

salt diapirism and provoke thin-skinned deformation of

the basin fill. Thin-skinned salt-tectonic deformation

refers to allochthonous growth of salt structures due to

regional extension or compression where the substra-

tum of the salt remains stable but the salt overburden is

deformed (Jackson and Vendeville, 1994). In exten-

sional settings, the development of halokinetic struc-

tures due to gravity spreading or gravity gliding of the

salt cover sediments is observed. In compressive set-

tings, the salt layer provides a decollement between the

subsalt layers and the cover that promotes decoupling

of the undeformed basement from the cover sediments

of the salt affected by folding and thrusting (Letouzey

et al., 1995).

The main aim of this study was to investigate the

role Zechstein salt played as a decoupling horizon

between its substratum and its cover during the

Mesozoic deformation in the NEGB. To find out

whether regional stresses triggered the Mesozoic salt

mobilization and caused thin-skinned deformation in

the basin, 3D structural modelling, backstripping and

seismic interpretation were integrated.

2. Regional tectonic framework and salt structures

in North Central Europe

The distribution of salt structures in the Southern

Permian Basin (Fig. 1) shows two provinces in North-

ern Germany and in the Southern North Sea separated

by a WNW–ESE-striking lineament: a province of

NNE–SSW to N–S-striking salt structures north of

the lineament and a second province of WNW–ESE

to NW–SE-striking salt structures south of it. The

separating lineament is part of the Elbe Fault System

extending from the south–eastern North Sea to

south–western Poland (Scheck et al., 2002). It con-

sists of several major WNW–ESE to NW–SE-strik-

ing faults that affect the Southern North Sea (e.g. the

border faults of the inverted Sole Pit Basin, the Broad

Fourteens Basin and the West Netherlands Basin), the

present-day southern margin of the North German

Basin (e.g. the Aller Lineament in the Lower Saxony

Basin, the Gardelegen Fault north of the Subhercynian

Basin and the Elbe Zone in eastern Germany and

Czech Republic) as well as the northern margin of the

Sudetic Block in Poland.

The first type of salt axes striking NNE–SSW to

N–S is mainly related to Triassic to Jurassic graben

structures. In the Northwest German Basin and in the

Southern North Sea, northerly trending salt walls are

associated with the Gluckstadt Graben, (Kockel,

1996; Jaritz, 1987), the Central Graben and the North

Sea Grabens (Ziegler, 1990; Kockel, 1995; Nalpas

and Brun, 1993; Stewart et al., 1996; Hooper and

More, 1995; Remmelts, 1995; Buchanan et al., 1996;

Clausen and Pedersen, 1999). This coexistence of N–

S-striking grabens and related salt structures points to

a relationship between regional E–W extension and

the onset of salt diapirism in Triassic times.

The second salt province with WNW–ESE to

NW–SE-striking structures widens toward the South-

ern North Sea in the Sole Pit Basin and the Broad

Fourteens Basin. These salt axes correlate spatially

with two types of structures: type (1) is located in Late

Jurassic–Early Cretaceous basins with parallel orien-

tation, and type (2) accompanies Late Cretaceous to

Early Cenozoic inversion structures. Differential sub-

sidence in these NW-trending basins was coupled with

Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous activity along NW–

SE-striking right-lateral wrench faults across the

whole southern part of the former Southern Permian

Basin (Ziegler, 1990). This system of wrench faults is

reported to have taken-up extension at the southern

margins of the N–S-trending graben and trough

systems, where major Jurassic subsidence in North

Central Europe occurred. Examples for these pull-

apart basins are the Sole Pit and Broad Fourteens

Basins in the Southern North Sea (Ziegler, 1990), the

Lower Saxony Basin in the southern Northwest Ger-

man Basin (Betz et al., 1987) and the Subhercynian

Basin south of the NEGB (Schwab, 1985).

During the Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary, North

Central Europe was affected by regional N–S com-

pression (Ziegler, 1990). Pre-existing faults were

reactivated according to their position relative to the

direction of maximum stress. The WNW–ESE-strik-


ing, pre-existing normal faults of the Late Jurassic–

Early Cretaceous basins were inverted as they were

perpendicular and oblique to maximum compression.

This type of inversion is reported from the southern

Central Graben, from the Sole Pit and Broad Four-

teens Basins (Nalpas and Brun, 1993), from the

southern North Sea (Badley et al., 1989; Coward

and Stewart, 1995; Hooper and More, 1995;

Remmelts, 1995; Buchanan et al., 1996; Stewart et

al., 1996), from the North German Basin (Kockel,

1996), from the Lower Saxony Basin (Betz et al.,

1987) and from the Subhercynian Basin (Schwab,

1985). The parallel orientation of these inverted

normal faults and of WNW–ESE-trending salt axes

indicates a common cause for the subsidence and

inversion in these basins and for salt mobilization.

On the contrary, the pre-existing faults of the major

Late Triassic–Jurassic extension structures strike

approximately N–S (parallel to Late Cretaceous–

Early Tertiary maximum compression) and therefore

were not prone to reverse reactivation. Accordingly,

inversion along the northerly trending faults is minor

(e.g in the Central Graben: Cartwright, 1989 and Horn

Graben: Clausen and Korstgard, 1996). Instead, these

structures persisted as extensional features along

which salt kept rising through the Late Mesozoic

and Cenozoic.

A final subsidence phase in the Cenozoic accom-

panied by continued salt movement was observed over

wide parts of North Central Europe, including the

Southern North Sea, the area north of the German

North Sea coast and southern Denmark. Several rea-

sons are discussed for Cenozoic subsidence. The work-

ing hypotheses range from thermal relaxation of the

North Sea lithosphere (Ziegler, 1990) to flexural bend-

ing of the lithosphere (Van Wees et al., 1996; Lazausz-

kiene, 2000; Hansen et al., 2000) in response to the

build-up of the present NNW–SSE to NNE–SSW-

directed compressional stress field (Grote, 1998).

The NEGB area investigated in this study is

located in NE Germany (in Fig. 1). There, the two

distinct provinces of salt structures, as evident in NW

Germany and in the Southern North Sea, become less

clear as the different sets of lineaments interfere.

Moreover, the abundance and maturity of salt struc-

tures decrease toward the study area and a great part

of salt structures in the northern half of the NEGB

reached only the pillow stage.

3. The 3D structural model of the NEGB

A closer look on the internal geometry of the study

area is provided by the 3D structural model of the

NEGB (Fig. 2) along selected profiles. Horizontal

resolution of the model is about 4 km and vertical

resolution is determined by the number of sedimen-

tary layers. As the model was designed to image

basin-wide structural trends, only the major salt struc-

tures are represented. The model integrates the pre-

served thickness of the Upper Carboniferous to

Cenozoic deposits and begins with Carboniferous to

Permian volcanics overlain by about 2300 m of clastic

Rotliegend deposits. Above the Rotliegend, 1000–

2000 m of Upper Permian Zechstein evaporites fol-

low. The cover of the salt is up to 5 km thick and

consists of Lower Triassic clastics (Buntsandstein),

Middle Triassic carbonates (Muschelkalk), Upper Tri-

assic (Keuper), Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous clas-

tics, Upper Cretaceous chalks and Cenozoic clastics.

Salt tectonic deformation, increasing to the south

and east, is a major structural characteristic of the

present basin. Folding and faulting determines the

structural picture in the salt overburden although

major faults do not affect the base Zechstein in the

central part of the basin. However, salt pillows and

diapirs are related to basement faults near the basin

margins. Especially along the southern margin, the

pre-Zechstein basement shows a vertical offset of

several kilometers along the Gardelegen Fault that is

a major element of the Elbe Fault System.

3.1. Deposition pattern in the NEGB

The present thickness distribution of the main

stratigraphic units (Fig. 3) images repeated changes

of the subsidence pattern. Deposition in the phase of

Permo-Triassic thermal subsidence took place in a

broad, sag basin with the basin axis striking NW–SE

(Van Wees et al., 2000). This is indicated by the

thickness distribution of the Lower Permian Rotlie-

gend (Fig. 3a) as well as of the Lower Triassic

Buntsandstein and Mid-Triassic Muschelkalk (Fig.

3b). The regional trend of a NW–SE-oriented basin

persisted, although several unconformities and verti-

cal movements along the southern basin margin are

reported within the Rotliegend to Muschelkalk series

(Schwab, 1985; Plein, 1995).

M. Scheck et al. / Tectonophysics 361 (2003) 277–299 281

Fig. 2. Selected profiles through the 3D structural model of the NEGB. As a general trend, an increase in deformation intensity is evident from

the NW to the S and E. In the basin area, the salt layer decouples a strongly deformed cover succession from a continuously layered, almost not

faulted, basement.


Fig. 3. Cumulative isopach maps (in m) of geologic units integrated in the 3D structural model of the NEGB. (a) Lower Permian Rotliegend Group, (b) Lower Triassic Buntsandstein

and Muschelkalk Groups, (c) Upper Triassic Keuper Group and Jurassic, (d) Lower Cretaceous, (e) Upper Cretaceous and (f) Cenozoic. Small circular minima in the map (white

spots) are due to post-depositional salt piercing.

M.Scheck

etal./Tecto

nophysics

361(2003)277–299

283

During Late Triassic, regional E–W extension

(Ziegler, 1990) caused a reconfiguration of the NEGB

basin. Cumulative isopachs of the Upper Triassic

Keuper Group and of Jurassic deposits (Fig. 3c)

indicate maximum deposition in the NNE–SSW-

trending Rheinsberg Trough and in smaller, N–S-

directed salt rim synclines in the south–eastern part

of the basin. In the former centre of the Permo-

Triassic basin, subsidence decreased during Late

Triassic and the area was subject to uplift during

Late Jurassic (Schwab, 1985; Scheck and Bayer,

1999).

NW–SE trending, smaller depocentres began to

develop during the Late Jurassic in the southern part

of the basin and gained increasing importance during

the Early Cretaceous. The thickness distribution of

Lower Cretaceous (Fig. 3d) illustrates that the Alt-

mark-Brandenburg Basin in the southern part of the

basin was the main area of deposition. It is composed

of several small sub-basins with NW–SE-trending

axes representing salt rim synclines (Schwab, 1985;

Scheck, 1997; Benoix et al., 1997).

The tectonic regime changed again in Late Creta-

ceous when regional compression caused uplift and

inversion in the south–eastern part of the basin and at

the basin’s margins. The Upper Cretaceous isopach

map (Fig. 3e) indicates renewed deposition in the NW

where thick chalk deposits imply a deepening of the

basin. In the southern part of the basin, isopachs

indicate inversion of the Prignitz-Lausitz Block (for-

mer Altmark-Brandenburg Basin during Early Creta-

ceous) and uplift of the Flechtingen and Grimmen

Highs. Inversion structures strike WNW–ESE to

NW–SE and are flanked by marginal narrow troughs

composed of deep salt rim synclines.

Cenozoic isopachs (Fig. 3f) indicate renewed sub-

sidence generally increasing to the west. Numerous

smaller concentric thickness maxima are superim-

posed on the general trend; they represent salt rim

synclines of variable wavelength. The largest rim

synclines occur along the WNW–ESE-directed basin

axis north of the river Elbe.

3.2. Salt distribution in the NEGB

A 3D view on the modelled top Zechstein surface

(Fig. 4a) illustrates that the abundance and amplitude

of salt structures increase towards the Gardelegen

Fault at the southern basin margin, towards the

Rheinsberg Trough in the east and towards the Grim-

men High at the north–eastern margin. In contrast,

salt deformation is less intense in the north–west.

There, long wavelength salt pillows are present as

well as areas where the salt layer is almost not

deformed. The modelled base Zechstein surface

(Fig. 4b) shows a smooth topography below the axial

parts of the basin where it lies about 5000 m deep.

There is no evidence of basement faulting below the

Rheinsberg Trough. Along the Gardelegen Fault,

vertical displacement of the pre-salt series amounts

up to 5 km.

The modelled present salt thickness (Fig. 5a)

shows salt pillows of various orientation with ampli-

tudes of about 1800 m in the northwestern part of the

basin. North–west of these long-wavelength struc-

tures, the salt has an average thickness of 1500 m and

is almost not disturbed. In the south–eastern part of

the basin, diapirs up to 4000 m high are surrounded by

zones of partial to total salt withdrawal. North of the

Elbe Fault System, diapirs are aligned in a pearl-string

fashion along WNW-trending axes parallel to the

Gardelegen Fault. Between these axes, the salt is

almost removed. Another NW-striking chain of salt

structures is evident north of the Prignitz-Lausitz

Block along the river Elbe. In the south–eastern part

of the basin, salt structures are preferably aligned

along NNE-trending axes and increase in amplitude

southward. These NNE-trending salt axes enclose an

area almost depleted of salt. The resulting ‘hole’ is

filled with the Keuper– Jurassic deposits of the

Rheinsberg Trough (Fig. 3c).

The reconstructed map of initial salt thickness (Fig.

5b) is a first result from 3D backstripping. Basic

assumptions in this approach are that the salt behaves

like a viscous fluid that is always almost in hydrostatic

Fig. 4. (a) Modelled thickness of Zechstein salt projected on the top-Zechstein surface showing increasing diapiric activity towards the southern

and eastern basin margin and minor halokinetic deformation in the NW. (b) 3D view on the base-Zechstein surface illustrating basement

deformation at the southern basin margin along the Gardelegen Fault, a major fault of the Elbe Fault System. Below the basin, the Pre-Zechstein

basement is flexed downward but hardly faulted.



equilibrium with the overburden and that its volume is

conserved. Salt flow is calculated as a consequence of

changing overburden load distribution for the differ-

ent geologic intervals. In addition, isostatic rebound

and sediment compaction are considered. After back-

stripping of all cover layers and subsequent salt

redistribution according to the change in load, iso-

static compensation and decompaction, we obtained

the hydrostatically equilibrated salt distribution at the

end of Zechstein. This modelled initial thickness

distribution of the salt shows a pattern similar to the

Rotliegend and Lower Triassic isopachs (Fig. 3a,b)

and indicates a NW–SE-oriented basin with thickest

sediment accumulation in the NW (up to 2200 m).

The reconstructed salt geometry is in agreement with

facies distribution pattern resulting from paleogeo-

graphic studies of the Zechstein series (Schwab,

1985; Kiersnowski et al., 1995). Comparing the maps

of present and reconstructed salt thickness, we ob-

serve four major features:

(1) Salt diapirism was weakest in the area of highest

initial salt thickness and thickest overburden.

(2) Initially, there was more salt present in the basin

centre than today.

(3) The area of the Keuper–Jurassic Rheinsberg

Trough was initially filled by salt.

(4) The present amount of salt in the diapirs around

the Rheinsberg Trough is considerably smaller

than the amount originally deposited in this area.

(5) In the diapirs north of the Gardelegen Fault, the

present-day amount of salt is larger than initially

deposited.

Assuming that salt loss due to solution was minor,

this implies that the salt migrated from the basin

Fig. 5. (a) Map of present-day salt thickness (in m) showing tall and narrow diapirs in the south–eastern part of the basin and small amplitude,

large wavelength salt pillows in the NW. Salt structures are aligned along WNW-striking axes north of the Gardelegen Fault and of the Prignitz-

Lausitz Block while they follow NNE-trending axes around the Rheinsberg Trough. (b) Reconstructed map of initial salt thickness (in m)

indicating a NW–SE-oriented basin with a depocentre in the NW. Arrows indicate main directions of post-depositional salt flow.


centre to the southern and eastern margins to rise in

the area of weakness zones. To date, we have no

constraints for the timing or causes of such a process.

A possible trigger could have been the Jurassic–Early

Cretaceous uplift of the northern part of the NEGB

that caused the development of a south-dipping slope

at the level of the pre-Zechstein basement. This may

have destabilized the isostatic equilibrium of the salt

layer causing gravity induced, down-slope salt flow

without lateral displacement of the cover. Observa-

tions of down-slope gravity gliding in the salt layer

known from the Western Platform in the Central

North Sea (Buchanan et al., 1996) back this interpre-

tation of salt flow at very small differential stress.

Summarising, we indentify thick-skinned deforma-

tion at the southern and north–eastern basin margins

and thin-skinned deformation in the area of the basin.

The basin consists of two parts: a rather stable region

in the NW and a weaker part near the southern and

eastern basin margins which was repeatedly deformed

during the Mesozoic deformation phases. The pres-

ence of salt rim synclines in the thickness maps of the

cover layers indicates that the major phases of diapiric

activity occurred during Cretaceous and Cenozoic

times. Late Cretaceous salt movements correlate with

the time of basin inversion when the salt layer could

have acted as a detachment horizon. However, salt

mobilisation could have started during the Late Tri-

assic E–W extension. The spatial correlation of salt-

depleted areas and the location of the Rheinsberg

Trough indicate a causal relationship between trough

subsidence and salt withdrawal. Furthermore, the

absence of basement faulting below the trough indi-

cates that salt flow could have balanced the Late

Triassic extension to accommodate the Keuper–Juras-

sic fill of the Rheinsberg Trough.

4. Seismic interpretation

The salt movement cannot be reconstructed from

backstripping alone because the process does not yield

unique solutions when individual diapirs grew repeat-

edly. Likewise, post-depositional piercing of several

cover layers cannot be inverted with a unique solu-

tion. Therefore, we analyzed seismic data to discrim-

inate whether the hypothesized correlation between

regional stress and local salt mobilization is supported

by data of higher resolution than the structural model.

We studied the reflection seismic data of the

DEKORP BASIN96 experiment (DEKORP BASIN

Research Group, 1999) and several recently released

seismic sections (courtesy of Erdol Egas Gommern).

4.1. Structural overview

A segment of the NNE–SSW-oriented DEKORP

BASIN9601 reflection seismic line extending from

south of Ruegen to the Gardelegen Fault provides a

regional overview (Fig. 6a,b). This segment runs

almost perpendicular to the axis of the Permo-Triassic

basin as well as to the Late Cretaceous inversion

structures and the Elbe Fault System (see Fig. 3 for

location). Additionally, the line transects the Keuper–

Jurassic Rheinsberg Trough along strike.

The lowermost traceable reflector in the fairly good

resolved post-Zechstein succession corresponds

approximately to the base Zechstein. It is further

referred to as the salt basement. At the southern end

of the section, some basement faults are recognized,

the largest of which is the Gardelegen Fault with a

vertical offset of 2 s TWT. North of the Gardelegen

Fault, displacement along basement faults is consid-

erably smaller below diapirs (0.1 to 0.3 s TWT) and

vanishes about 50-km north of the Gardelegen Fault.

In the axial part of the basin, the base Zechstein is

flexed downward and major faults are conspicuously

absent. Only at the northern basin margin, a basement-

involving reverse fault with an offset of 0.15 s TWT is

evident below the Grimmen High.

The top Zechstein reflector delineates several salt

structures that pierce and fold their Mesozoic over-

burden. To enhance the clearness of the figure, we

avoided local names and numbered the salt structures

consecutively. In the northern part, salt mobilization

resulted in the formation of salt pillows (numbers 1 to

4). To the south, salt structures show increasing

diapiric maturity, and partly pierce their Mesozoic

cover. Below the Rheinsberg Trough and along the

southern part of the line, the salt is almost completely

removed between diapirs. The Prignitz-Lausitz Block

is bounded by the diapirs 5 and 6. Above the salt, a set

of continuous reflectors occurs almost parallel to the

top Zechstein reflector; these correspond to the Tri-

assic Upper Bunter and Muschelkalk units (TB and

TM). In the northern part of the line, these units are



folded but get increasingly pierced by diapirs to the

south. They show no evidence of syn-depositional

deformation or salt rim syncline subsidence.

Above the Muschelkalk, an interval of about 1 s

TWT characterized by discontinuous reflectors corre-

sponds to the Late Triassic Keuper and Jurassic

deposits (TK–J). This unit represents the fill of the

Rheinsberg Trough and shows increasing thickness

towards the trough centre. In the northern part of the

profile, the Keuper to Jurassic interval shows a similar

deformation pattern as the Bunter and Muschelkak

units. Towards the south, reflection patterns show

evidence of syn-depositional stratigraphic thickening

indicative for the development of rim synclines along

the flanks of evolving salt structures. The top of the

Keuper–Jurassic interval is truncated by an uncon-

formity that corresponds to the Latest Jurassic and

Earliest Cretaceous in the southern half of the profile.

Lower Cretaceous rim syncline formation is recogniz-

able adjacent to the diapirs 6, 7, 8 and 9, where syn-

kinematic stratigraphic thickening is present between

the diapirs. The Lower Cretaceous thins out north-

wards and is missing in the northern part of the basin.

In the area between the Gardelegen Fault and the

Prignitz-Lausitz Block, the top of the Lower Creta-

ceous interval is truncated by the regional unconform-

ity of the base of Upper Cretaceous. In the northern

parts of the line, this unconformity truncates the top of

the very thin Lower Cretaceous and partly also

Jurassic sediments. Syn-kinematic stratigraphic thick-

Fig. 6. (a) Regional seismic section DEKORP BASIN9601 (DEKORP BASIN Research Group, 1999) extending from south of Rugen to the

Flechtingen High (see Fig. 3 for location) and (b) interpretation. The line shows several salt structures with increasing maturity from north to

south. The Triassic Buntsandstein and Muschelkalk show no evidence of syn-depositional salt movement. Syn-kinematic stratigraphic

thickening indicative for salt movements is obvious from the Keuper– Jurassic upward and is associated with normal faulting in the Keuper–

Jurassic. These faults show evidence of reverse reactivation in the Mesozoic to Lower Cenozoic. Cenozoic rim synclines have larger

wavelengths than the tighter-folded Mesozoic interval and partially overstep older rim synclines. The base Zechstein is faulted at the basin

margins but continuous and flexed downward below the main parts of the basin. Vertical exaggeration factor is 2 in (a,b) with respect to (c). (c)

Enlarged detail of the Gardelegen Fault and adjacent salt rim syncline. Divergent reflectors indicate accelerated subsidence in the Keuper–

Jurassic interval of the rim syncline and/or syn-sedimentary movements along the fault system. Movement along the fault and diapirism ceased

after the Late Cretaceous as the erosional base Cenozoic unconformity (Cen) is essentially undeformed. Abbreviations: BaseZ, Base Zechstein

salt; TopZ, Top Zechstein salt; TB, Triassic Buntsandstein; TM, Triassic Muschelkalk; TK–J, Upper Triassic Keuper and Jurassic; LC, Lower

Cretaceous; UC, Upper Cretaceous; Cen, Base Cenozoic unconformity; arrows indicate terminating reflectors.


ening of the Upper Cretaceous interval between all

salt structures indicates Late Cretaceous salt move-

ments along the entire line. The whole Mesozoic

interval is folded above the salt with salt-cored anti-

clines and synclines where the salt is largely with-

drawn. Upper Cretaceous rim synclines are deep and

narrow above the Elbe Fault System in the south and

become wide and symmetric north of the Prignitz-

Lausitz Block. As a general trend, the Upper Creta-

ceous thickens toward the northern end of the section.

In the area of the Prignitz-Lausitz Block, Upper

Cretaceous strata are missing due to truncation by

the erosional base Cenozoic unconformity. This indi-

cates that Upper Cretaceous sediments were possibly

deposited in this area but were eroded during Late

Cretaceous–Early Tertiary inversion.

The erosive base-Cenozoic unconformity can be

traced over the entire profile. It truncates the folded

Mesozoic interval indicating that the whole area was

above the erosional level before Cenozoic deposition

took place, although selected blocks suffered stronger

uplift (e.g. Flechtingen High, Prignitz-Lausitz Block).

Increasingly, older rocks are truncated from N to S,

and erosion reaches the Keuper–Jurassic interval on

inverted blocks and above salt pillows. Erosion took

place after deposition of Upper Cretaceous Maastricht

(youngest rocks below the unconformity according to

well data, Hoth et al., 1993) and before deposition of

Lower Tertiary Mid-Paleocene (oldest Cenozoic sedi-

ments above the unconformity according to well

data).

The saucer-shaped geometry of the Cenozoic inter-

val indicates maximum subsidence in the basin centre.

Stratigraphic thinning indicates diapir growth above

most diapirs, but especially in the southern part of the

section, some Mesozoic diapirs are ignored and over-

stepped by Cenozoic deposition. Moreover, Cenozoic

rim synclines have considerably larger wavelengths

than the tighter-folded Mesozoic interval below—an

indication that Mesozoic and Cenozoic salt move-

ments are related to different tectonic regimes.

Several faults affecting the cover of the salt are

evident in the section. Most of these faults were

initiated during Late Triassic extension, as syn-tec-

tonic stratigraphic thickening of the Keuper–Jurassic

reflectors is visible in the hanging wall of the faults

while Buntsandstein and Muschelkalk reflectors show

constant offsets along the faults. This indicates that

Keuper– Jurassic salt movement occurred under

extension. These faults were apparently reactivated

as reverse faults active until the Early Tertiary as

evidenced by their frequent termination as small-scale

reverse faults in the Upper Cretaceous to Lower

Cenozoic series.

A close-up of the area north of the Gardelegen

Fault (Fig. 6c) images a small rim syncline between

diapirs 9 and 10 (Fig. 6a,b). Below this syncline, the

salt is removed. It most probably migrated into the

adjacent diapirs against which the rim syncline reflec-

tors terminate. Above the parallel reflectors of the

Buntsandstein and Muschelkalk (TB and TM), diver-

gent reflectors indicate accelerated subsidence of the

rim syncline in the Keuper–Jurassic unit (TK–J). The

sediments corresponding to these divergent reflectors

could be contemporaneous to salt removal or to syn-

sedimentary movements along the fault system or

both. Above the Jurassic reflectors, an interval with

reduced reflectivity is interpreted as representing

Lower Cretaceous sediments. The latter is truncated

by the basal Upper Cretaceous unconformity (UC),

indicating a renewed pulse in salt migration and/or

slip along the fault system. Movement along the fault

and growth of the salt diapirs ceased after Late

Cretaceous. The base Cenozoic unconformity (Cen)

is essentially undeformed and on-lapping on both the

area of the Upper Cretaceous rim syncline and the up-

thrown side of the Gardelegen Fault.

4.2. The Rheinsberg Trough

Two seismic sections cross the western shoulder of

the Keuper–Jurassic Rheinsberg Trough perpendicu-

lar to its axis (Figs. 7 and 8). They illustrate the

correlation between the Late Triassic extensional

phase and the initiation of salt movement. In both

profiles, basement faults are absent.

The northern profile (GLG19, Fig. 7a,b) images

two smooth, long wavelength, symmetric salt pillows

that are conformably overlain by the Triassic and

Jurassic units. Here, the Triassic to Jurassic series

represent pre-kinematic layers with respect to salt

pillow formation as they are folded parallel to the

top salt reflector. Merely a continuous increase of the

Keuper–Jurassic interval thickness is visible toward

the centre of the Rheinsberg Trough (from 0.7 s TWT

in the WNW to 1 s TWT in the ESE). The Keuper–


Fig. 7. Seismic section GLG19 (a) crossing the western margin of the Late Triassic– Jurassic Rheinsberg Trough in its northern part (see Fig. 3 for location) and (b) interpretation. The

line images minor salt tectonic deformation typical for the north–western part of the basin. The Triassic and Jurassic reflectors show a general thickness increase to the centre of the

Rheinsberg Trough, but no thickness gradients related to the position of salt pillows. They are folded parallel to salt topography and are truncated by the base-Cretaceous

unconformity. Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic reflectors show syn-sedimentary thickness gradients near the salt pillows (abbreviations as in Fig. 6c).

M.Scheck

etal./Tecto

nophysics

361(2003)277–299

291

Jurassic is truncated by the base Cretaceous uncon-

formity. The stratigraphic thinning of the Upper Creta-

ceous interval above both salt pillows and its

thickening in the syncline between them marks the

beginning of salt movements during Late Cretaceous.

The base Cenozoic unconformity truncates the Upper

Cretaceous interval. Stratigraphic thickening of the

Cenozoic points to accelerated subsidence of the

central rim syncline while thinning above the salt

swells indicates continued salt uprise. However, on-

lapping Cenozoic reflectors above the salt pillows and

the increasingly parallel reflector geometry toward the

top of section documents a decrease in the velocity of

salt movement to the end of the Cenozoic.

The southern profile (KYZ 2, Fig. 8a,b) ends to the

ESE in the centre of the Rheinsberg Trough. Two salt

pillows are imaged in this section between which the

salt is completely removed: a larger one at the western

end and a smaller salt pillow in the central part of the

line. While the Triassic Buntsandstein and Muschel-

kalk units are folded parallel to the top salt reflector,

the higher units have a more complex geometry. A

drastic thickness increase of the Keuper–Jurassic unit

occurs in the centre of the Rheinsberg Trough (from

Fig. 8. Seismic section KYZ 2 (a) crossing the central part of the Rheinsberg Trough (see Fig. 3 for location) and (b) interpretation. In the eastern

part of the profile (trough centre), two inverted rim synclines with Upper Triassic to Jurassic fill are present. Above the related salt pillow in the

central part of the section, a crestal graben is present. Lower Cretaceous rim synclines show different reflector dip with respect to the Keuper–

Jurassic. The base Cenozoic unconformity cuts older structures at different levels indicating pre-Cenozoic uplift and erosion. Reflectors in the

Cenozoic rim syncline related to the western salt pillow overstep the underlying central salt pillow. In the lower part of the Cenozoic, reflectors

are offset along small thrust faults above the inverted Late Triassic crestal graben (abbreviations as Fig. 6c).


0.5 s TWT in the WNW to about 2 s in the ESE). Near

and above the central salt pillow, the Keuper–Jurassic

interval thins. Thus, this unit reflects the onset of

development of the central pillow in the crestal parts

of which a graben subsided. Accelerated subsidence

of the central Rheinsberg Trough, combined with

normal faulting in the salt cover, is interpreted as

resulting from extension. The western salt pillow is

younger than the central one as syn-kinematic strati-

graphic thinning in its roof is visible only in the upper

part of the Keuper–Jurassic interval. The base Creta-

ceous unconformity separates the Keuper to Jurassic

units from the Lower Cretaceous sediments. In the

roof of the salt structures, on-lapping Lower Creta-

ceous reflectors indicate their continued growth dur-

ing the Early Cretaceous. The depocentres of the

Lower Cretaceous rim syncline are shifted with

respect to the Keuper–Jurassic depocentres. Due to

the location of this section on the inverted Prignitz-

Lausitz Block, Upper Cretaceous strata are missing.

All Mesozoic units are truncated by the erosional

base Cenozoic unconformity. Consequently, uplift and

erosion must have taken place prior to the resumption

of sedimentation during the Early Cenozoic, as also

evident on the BASIN9601 line (Fig. 6). The depo-

centre of a Cenozoic rim syncline developed on top of

the central salt pillow, indicating that it had ceased to

grow in Cenozoic times before reaching a diapiric

stage. The westward shift of the Cenozoic depocentre

with respect to the underlying Mesozoic rim synclines

and reduced subsidence in the former Rheinsberg

Trough led to to the development of a turtle structure.

In contrast, the western pillow might still be active at

present.

Above the central salt pillow, the faults of the

crestal graben show reverse reactivation affecting

Mesozoic reflectors. Small thrust faults are present

above the crestal graben and displace the base Cen-

ozoic unconformity and the lowermost Cenozoic

reflectors. This indicates that moderate compression

continued into Cenozoic times.

4.3. The inverted Prignitz-Lausitz Block

Two NNE–SSW running seismic lines (PLG10,

Fig. 9 and GLG4, Fig. 10) show the deformation

pattern of the inverted Prignitz-Lausitz Block along its

northern margin. These lines cross the central part of

the block perpendicular to its strike and again show

the conspicuous absence of basement faults.

On the southern profile, PLG 10, (Fig. 9a,b), two

salt pillows are evident: one in its central part and one

at its northern end. Thickness gradients, indicative for

rim syncline subsidence, occur in the Keuper–Juras-

sic and the Lower Cretaceous intervals. A system of

syn-sedimentary normal faults in the Keuper–Jurassic

unit is associated with the crestal parts of the central

salt pillow indicating its growth during the accumu-

lation of the upper part of this unit. The faulted

interval is overlain by a Lower Cretaceous depression

which suggests that salt movement persisted during

the Early Cretaceous in an area outside the section.

Between the salt pillows, rim syncline subsidence also

commenced during the Keuper–Jurassic as indicated

by stratigraphic thickening. However, maximum Early

Cretaceous subsidence is shifted with respect to the

underlying Keuper–Jurassic rim synclines as docu-

mented by the post-depositional collapse of the latter

to form turtle structures. The erosional Base Cenozoic

unconformity is approximately horizontal and trun-

cates all pre-Cenozoic reflectors, but Cenozoic sedi-

ments on-lap the northern pillow structure. The

normal faults of the Mesozoic crestal graben above

the central salt pillow were inverted in the Late

Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic as reflectors in the upper

part of the section show off-sets along small thrusts.

Along most of the northern line (GLG4, Fig.

10a,b), the reflectors of the Triassic to Jurassic inter-

val are gently folded parallel to the top Zechstein

reflector. Only the salt pillow at the northern end of

the section possibly started to grow as early as Late

Triassic–Jurassic. From north to south, the Keuper–

Jurassic unit thickens progressively. Its top is trun-

cated by the base Cretaceous unconformity above

which reflectors on-lap the crestal parts of the salt

structures. This indicates that the rate of pillow growth

during Late Cretaceous was slower than the regional

subsidence rate in the northern part of the basin.

Thickness gradients indicative for rim syncline sub-

sidence are present in the Upper Cretaceous and in the

Cenozoic intervals.

The salt pillow at the northern end of line PLG10

(Fig. 9) is the same as the pillow at the southern end

of line GLG4 (Fig. 10); it is located approximately at

the northern margin of the inverted Prignitz-Lausitz

Block. The line KYZ2 (Fig. 8) also cuts this pillow,


here at the eastern flank. Thus, an almost 3D view on

the latter is possible.

Along the northern flank of this salt pillow (GLG4,

Fig. 10), rim syncline subsidence started in post-

Jurassic times, as the Keuper–Jurassic unit shows

no stratigraphic thickening. In contrast, we observed

rim syncline subsidence during the Keuper–Jurassic

at the southern (line PLG10, Fig. 9) and eastern flanks

of this diapir (line KYZ2, Fig. 8). This indicates that

the salt had been withdrawn from the area south and

east of the pillow during Keuper–Jurassic (from the

area of the subsiding Rheinsberg Trough), while its

northern margin remained undisturbed until Creta-

ceous times.

Summarizing, we observed that salt mobilization

started during the Keuper in the southern part of the

Fig. 9. (a) Seismic section PLG10 (see Fig. 3 for location) perpendicular to the inverted Prignitz-Lausitz Block crossing the northern margin of

the block and (b) interpretation. The line is the southern prolongation of line GLG4 (Fig. 10) and intersects with line KYZ2 (Fig. 8). The base

salt is flat, but syn-sedimentary normal faults are present in the crestal graben above the central salt pillow and in the adjacent rim syncline filled

with Upper Triassic to Jurassic. These faults show reverse reactivation and displace the base of the Lower Cretaceous rim syncline and the

lowermost Cenozoic reflectors. The base Cenozoic unconformity cuts older structures indicating pre-Cenozoic erosion. In the Cenozoic, the

central pillow had ceased to grow and subsidence in its two rim synclines decreased. Continued subsidence in the neighbouring areas resulted in

the formation of turtle structures in the Keuper– Jurassic rim synclines (abbreviations as Fig. 6c).


Fig. 10. (a) Seismic section GLG4 (northern continuation of PLG 10, Fig. 9) shows minor salt tectonic deformation. The Triassic and Jurassic reflectors are gently folded above the

salt structures and are truncated at the top by the base Cretaceous unconformity. Indications for rim syncline formation are present in the Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic parts of the

section (abbreviations as Fig. 6c).

M.Scheck

etal./Tecto

nophysics

361(2003)277–299

295

basin where it accompanied the subsidence in the

Rheinsberg Trough and was coupled with normal

faulting in the salt cover. We further found indications

for continued salt movements in the southern part of

the basin during Early Cretaceous. In the northern part

of the NEGB, salt movements only started to play an

important role in the Late Cretaceous when the entire

Mesozoic interval was folded. Late Cretaceous–Early

Cenozoic compression-induced inversion was associ-

ated with salt migration into the anticlines of folds

with differential uplift of individual blocks and with

regional uplift above the erosional level. Salt move-

ment continued in the Cenozoic but with a different

intensity expressed in a larger wavelength of salt-

related structures and in overstepping of older salt

pillows and diapirs.

5. Discussion and conclusions

This study shows that the Triassic to Cenozoic

fluctuations of the regional stress field known from

the Southern North Sea and from NW Germany are

also traceable in the NEGB. Furthermore, the results

demonstrate that major changes in salt dynamics in

the NEGB are closely coupled with changes in the

regional stress field.

As the Lower to Middle Triassic layers show only

post-depositional deformation, salt movement mainly

took place post-Muschelkalk. The onset of salt diapir-

ism synchronous with the development of the Rheins-

berg Trough correlates temporally with regional E–

W-directed extension during the Late Triassic and

Jurassic. A Late Triassic extensional event is docu-

mented by accelerated subsidence and basement—

affecting normal faulting in several northerly trending

graben structures of North Central Europe (e.g Central

Graben, Horn Graben: Stewart et al., 1996; Coward

and Stewart, 1995; Gluckstadt Graben: Trusheim,

1960; Kockel, 1996). This deformation may have

propagated eastward into the salt cover of the NEGB.

Analogue modelling studies (Vendeville et al.,

1995) suggest that salt cannot transmit large differ-

ential stresses due to its low viscosity. Therefore, the

post salt series are decoupled from the substratum of

the salt and react as an isolated brittle layer. As the

inducing tectonic stress causes normal faulting in the

salt cover but does not exceed the strength of the

basement, the salt can migrate into the space created

in the extended cover sediments. The undeformed

basement below the Rheinsberg Trough together with

the observed salt movements and extension in the

cover indicates that such a mechanism has initiated

the trough as a large salt rim syncline, elongated

perpendicular to the direction of regional extension.

Areas from where the salt was withdrawn to rise

towards extended zones in the cover provided the

accommodation space for the forming trough. It is

interesting to note that absolute vertical offsets along

Late Triassic basement faults decrease from west to

east in the Southern Permian Basin indicating either a

strain release from west to east or an increase in

basement strength in the same direction or both.

While the northern part of the basin was uplifted in

the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, deposition contin-

ued in the south. However, several observations

indicate a change from E–W extension to a tectonic

regime that favoured the activation of NW–SE-ori-

ented structures during this time interval. Besides

local unconformities in the Upper Jurassic–Lower

Cretaceous, the rotation of rim synclines axes from

N–S in the Late Triassic to NW–SE in the Early

Cretaceous documents the changed deformation

regime. Brink et al. (1992) describe this rotation of

salt axes from the western part of the North German

Basin and propose a change of the regional stress field

as origin. Furthermore, active faulting along the Elbe

Fault System during Jurassic and Early Cretaceous

associated with salt movements also points to a stress

field activating NW-trending structures. Whether this

evolution was related to transtension and NW–SE-

directed wrenching like in NW Europe remains

unconstrained.

During the Late Cretaceous, a further phase of salt

movement is observed synchronously with compres-

sional deformation in the NEGB. Ongoing diapirism

in the cores of WNW–ESE-oriented folds contempo-

rary to the uplift of WNW–ESE-striking blocks

indicates that salt movement and inversion were both

related to the same N–S compressive stress field.

Again, the salt layer decoupled the deformation of its

basement from its cover. According to Letouzey et al.

(1995), salt layers may provide decollement surfaces

in compressive settings. Our results suggest that Late

Cretaceous to Early Tertiary compression triggered

propagation of the horizontal strain in the salt cover


from the large fault system at the southern margin to

the basin. This concept explains both (1) the forma-

tion of salt-cored folds parallel to the fault system and

(2) the increasing wavelength of folds and rim syn-

clines as well as the fading of basement faults with

increasing distance from the fault system.

The Base Cenozoic unconformity documents that

the folded Mesozoic interval was peneplained prior to

Cenozoic deposition. It remains open if this uplift

occurred in continuous transition with the folding

process or if the uplift was due to an additional tectonic

pulse. Early Paleocene erosion affected the pre-Cen-

ozoic layers down to the Keuper–Jurassic, but only a

few diapiric crests were affected by erosion in the south

indicating that salt loss due to solution was minor.

The last phase of salt diapirism contemporaneous

with the Cenozoic subsidence appears to reflect a

stage of downbuilding. The maturest pre-Cenozoic

salt structures continued to grow during the Cenozoic,

flanked by widening salt rim synclines that over-

stepped older salt structures. Cenozoic salt uprise

was most intense along the basin axis where the

subsidence rate was highest. This points to a feedback

mechanism between salt uprise and regional subsi-

dence. An interesting feature is the coexistence of

subsidence and compressive deformation found in the

lowermost Cenozoic. This type of setting usually

occurs in flexural basins under compression. More-

over, the downward flexure of the base Cenozoic

almost parallel to the base Zechstein indicates that

Cenozoic subsidence followed rather a thick-skinned

deformation regime and the crust-deformed ‘en

block’. This would support the concept of Cenozoic

flexural bending of the lithosphere beneath the NEGB

due to NNE–SSW-directed compression (Van Wees et

al., 1996; Bayer et al., 1999; Marotta et al., 2001;

Gemmer et al., 2002). However, the frequency of

Cenozoic salt structures is also increasing towards

the southern and eastern basin margins, which indi-

cates that the velocity of salt uprise was additionally

influenced by the presence of weakness zones in these

areas.

Although the initial salt thickness was highest in

the NW, no diapirs developed in this area. Therefore,

density-driven diapirism as an initiating mechanism

can be ruled out for the NEGB as the area with highest

initial salt thickness and thickest overburden was the

most stable region during Mesozoic and Cenozoic.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the constructive comments of P.

Ziegler, S. Stovba, M. Coward, J. Angelier and J.-P.

Burgh, as well as to an anonymous reviewer who

helped to improve the quality of this paper consid-

erably. Erdol Erdgas Gommern G.m.b.H and espe-

cially Dr. Stefan Schretzenmayr are thanked for

seismic and well data and for the permission to

publish the seismic profiles. We further acknowledge

help from M. Stiller and C. Krawczyk in the context

of the BASIN’96 reflection seismic data. This project

was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

References

Bachmann, G.H., Grosse, S., 1989. Struktur und Entwicklung des

Norddeutschen Beckens—geologische und geophysikalische In-

terpretation einer verbesserten Bouguer-Schwerekarte. Nieder-

sachs. Akad. Geowiss. Verofftlichungen 2, 23–47 (Hannover).

Bachmann, G.H., Hoffman, N., 1997. Development of the Rotlie-

gend Basin in Northern Germany. Geol. J. D103, 9–31.

Badley, M.E., Price, J.D., Blackshall, L.C., 1989. Inversion, reac-

tivated faults and related structures: seismic examples from the

Southern North Sea. In: Cooper, M.A., Williams, G.D. (Eds.),

Inversion Tectonics, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. Classics. The Geo-

logical Society of London, pp. 9201–9222.

Bayer, U., Scheck, M., Rabbel, W., Krawczyk, C.M., Gotze, H.-J.,

Stiller, M., Beilecke, Th., Marotta, A.-M., Barrio-Alvers, L.,

Kuder, J., 1999. An integrated study of the NE-German Basin.

Tectonophysics 314, 285–307.

Benek, R., Kramer,W., McCann, T., Scheck,M., Negendank, J.F.W.,

Korich, D., Huebscher, H., Bayer, U., 1996. Permo-Carbonifer-

ous magmatism and related subsidence of the NE German Basin.

Tectonophysics 266, 379–404.

Benoix, D., Ludwig, A.O., Schulze, W., Schwab, G., Hartmann, H.,

Knebel, G., Januszewski, I., 1997. Struktur und Entwicklung

mesozoischer Storungszonen in der Sudwest-Altmark. Hal-

lesches Jahrb. Geowiss. 19, 83–114.

Betz, D., Fuhrer, F., Plein, E., 1987. Evolution of the Lower Saxony

Basin. Tectonophysics 137, 127–170.

Breitkreuz, C.H., Kennedy, A., 1999. Magmatic flare-up at the

Carboniferous/Permian boundary in the NE German Basin re-

vealed by SHRIMP Ages. Tectonophysics 302, 307–326.

Brink, H.J., Duerschner, H., Trappe, H., 1992. Some aspects on the

late and post-Variscan development of the Northwestern Ger-

man Basin. Tectonophysics 207, 65–92.

Buchanan, P.G., Bishop, D.J., Hood, D.N., 1996. Development of

salt related structures in the Central North Sea: results from

section balancing. In: Alsop, G.I., Blundell, D.J., Davison, I.

(Eds.), Salt Tectonics, vol. 100. Geological Society of London,

Special Publication, pp. 111–128.

Cartwright, J.A., 1989. The kinematics of inversion in the Danish


Central Graben. In: Cooper, M.A., Williams, G.D. (Eds.), In-

version Tectonics, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. Classics. The Geo-

logical Society of London, pp. 153–176.

Clausen, O.R., Korstgard, J.A., 1996. Planar detaching faults in the

southern Horn Graben, Danish North Sea. Marine and Petrole-

um Geology 13, 537–549.

Clausen, O.R., Pedersen, P.K., 1999. The Triassic structural evolu-

tion of the southern margin of the Ringkøbing-Fyn-High, Den-

mark. Mar. Pet. Geol. 16, 653–665.

Coward,M., Stewart, S., 1995. Salt-influenced structures in theMes-

ozoic–Tertiary cover of the SouthernNorth Sea, UK. In: Jackson,

M.P.A., Roberts, D.G., Snelson, S. (Eds.), Salt Tectonics A Glob-

al Perspective, AAPG Mem, vol. 65, pp. 229–250.

DEKORP BASIN Research Group, 1998. Survey provides seismic

insights into an old suture zone. EOS 79 (12), 12151–12159.

DEKORP BASIN Research Group, 1999. Deep crustal structure of

the NE German Basin—new DEKORP BASIN deep profiling

results. Geology 27, 55–58.

Franke, D., Hoffmann, N., 1999a. Das Elbe-Lineament-bedeutende

Geofraktur oder Phantomgebilde?—Teil 1: Die Referenzgebiete.

Z. Geol. Wiss. 27 (3/4), 279–318.

Franke, D., Hoffmann, N., 1999b. Das Elbe-Lineament-bedeutende

Geofraktur oder Phantomgebilde?—Teil 2: Regionale Zusam-

menhange. Z. Geol. Wiss. 27 (3/4), 319–350.

Gemmer, L., Nielsen, S.B., Huuse, M., Lykke-Andersen, H.,

2002. Post-mid Cretaceous eastern North Sea evolution in-

ferred from 3D thermo-mechanical modelling. Tectonophysics

350, 315–342.

Grote, R., 1998. Die rezente horizontale Hauptspannungsrichtung

im Rotliegenden und Oberkarbon in Norddeutschland, Erdol,

Erdgas, Kohle, Bd. 114, S. 478–483.

Hansen, D.L., Nielsen, S.B., Lykke-Andersen, H., 2000. The

post-Triassic evolution of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone—

results from thermo-mechanical modelling. Tectonophysics

328, 245–267.

Hooper, R.J., More, C., 1995. Evaluation of some salt related over-

burden structures in the UK Southern North Sea. In: Jackson,

M.P.A., Roberts, D.G., Snelson, S. (Eds.), Salt Tectonics A

Global Perspective, AAPG Mem. 65, pp. 251–259.

Hoth, K., Rusbult, J., Zagora, K., Beer, H., Hartmann, O., 1993. Die

tiefen Bohrungen im Zentralabschnitt der Mitteleuropaischen

Senke—Dokumentation fur den Zeitabschnitt 1962 – 1990.

Schr.reihe Geowiss. 2 (Berlin), 145 pp.

Jackson, M.P.A., Vendeville, B.C., 1994. Initiation of Salt Diapir-

ism by Regional Extension: Global Setting, Structural Style and

Mechanical Models. Bureau of Economic Geology, University

of Texas at Austin, Report of Investigation No. 215. 39 pp.

Jaritz, W., 1987. The origin and development of salt structures

in Northwest Germany. In: Lerche, I., O’Brian, J.J. (Eds.), Dy-

namical Geology of Salt and Related Structures. Academic

Press, Orlando, FL, pp. 479–493.

Kiersnowski, H., Paul, J., Peryt, T.M., Smith, D.B., 1995. Facies,

paleogeography, and sedimentary history of the Southern Per-

mian Basin in Europe. In: Scholle, P., Peryt, T.M., Ulmer-

Scholle, D.S. (Eds.), The Permian of Northern Pangea, vol. 1,

pp. 119–136.

Kockel, F., 1995. Structural and paleogeographical development of

the German North Sea sector, Berlin, Stuttgart. Beitr. Reg. Geol.

Erde 26 (Gebruder Borntrager), 96 pp.

Kockel (Ed.), 1996. Geotektonischer Atlas von NW-Deutschland/

Tectonic Atlas of NW-Germany 1:300 000. Compiled by: Bald-

schuhn, R., Frisch, U. and Kockel, F. authors: Baldschuhn, R.,

Best, G., Deneke, E., Frisch, U., Juergens, U., Kockel, F.,

Schmitz, J., Sattler-Kosinowski, S., Stancu-Kristoff, G., Zirn-

gast, M. Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe,

Hannover.

Krawczyk, C.M., Stiller, M., DEKORP-BASIN Research Group,

1999. Reflection seismic constraints on Paleozoic crustal struc-

ture and Moho beneath the NE German Basin. Tectonophysics

314, 241–253.

Lazauskiene, J., 2000. Quantitative Modelling of the Baltic Silurian

Sedimentary Basin, thesis at Vilnius University, Lituania.

Letouzey, J., Coletta, B., Vially, R., 1995. Evolution of salt-related

structures in compressional settings. In: Jackson, M.P.A., Rob-

erts, D.G., Snelson, S. (Eds.), Salt Tectonics A Global Perspec-

tive, AAPG Mem. 65, pp. 41–60.

Lockhorst, A. (Ed.), 1998. NW European Gas Atlas-Composition

and Isotope ratios of Natural Gases, Gis application on CD by

the British Geological Survey, Bundesanstalt fur Geowissen-

schaften und Rohstoffe, Danmarks og Gronlands Geologiske

Undersogelse, Nederlands Instituut voor Toegepaste Geoweten-

schappen, Panstwowy Instytut Geologiczny, European Union.

Ludwig, A.O., 1983. Die strukturelle Entwicklung des NW-Ab-

schnittes des Elbe-Lineaments und Vergleich mit den anschlie-

ßenden SE-Abschnitt im Gebiet der DDR. Veroff. Zent.inst.

Phys. Erde 77, 143–176 (Potsdam).

Marotta, A.-M., Bayer, U., Scheck, M., Thybo, H., 2001. The stress

field below the NE German Basin: effects induced by the Alpine

collision. Geophys. J. Int. 144 (2), F8–F12.

McCann, T., 1996. Pre-Permian of the NE-German Basin. Geol. J.

31, 159–177.

Meinhold, R., Reinhardt, H.-G., 1967. Halokinese im nordostdeut-

schen Tiefland. Ber. Dtsch. Ges. Geol. Wiss., A Geol. Palaontol.

12 (3/4), 329–353.

Muller, E.P., Dubslaff, H., Eiserbeck, W., Sallum, R., 1993. Zur

Entwicklung der Erdol-und Erdgasexploration zwischen Ostsee

und Thuringer Wald. In: Muller, P.E., Porth, H. (Eds.), Perm im

Ostteil der Norddeutschen Senke, Geologisches Jahrbuch A,

vol. A131, pp. 5–30.

Nalpas, T., Brun, J.P., 1993. Salt flow and diapirism related to

extension at crustal scale. Tectonophysics 228, 349–362.

Plein, E. (Ed.), 1995. Stratigraphie von Deutschland I, Nord-

deutsches Rotliegendbecken Rotliegend-Monographie Teil II.

Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, 183, Frankfurt a. M.1-193.

Remmelts, G., 1995. Fault-related tectonics in the Southern North

Sea, The Netherlands. In: Jackson, M.P.A., Roberts, D.G., Snel-

son, S. (Eds.), Salt Tectonics A Global Perspective, AAPG

Mem. 65, pp. 261–272.

Ruhberg, N., 1976. Probleme der Zechsteinsalzbewegung. Z. An-

gew. Geol. 22, 413–420.

Sannemann, D., 1968. Salt-stock families in Northwestern Ger-

many. Diapirism and Diapirs, AAPG Mem. 8, pp. 261–270.

Scheck, M., 1997. Dreidimensionale Strukturmodellierung des

Nordostdeutschen Beckens unter Einbeziehung von Krustenmo-


dellen, Scientific Technical Reports, 97/10 GeoForschungsZen-

trum Potsdam.

Scheck, M., Bayer, U., 1999. Evolution of the Northeast German

Basin—inferences from a 3D structural model and subsidence

analysis. Tectonophysics 313, 145–169.

Scheck, M., Barrio-Alvers, L., Bayer, U., Gotze, H.-J., 1999. Den-

sity structure of the Northeast German Basin: 3D modelling

along the DEKORP line BASIN96. Phys. Chem. Earth, Part

A 24 (3), 221–230.

Scheck, M., Bayer, U., Otto, V., Lamarche, J., Banka, D., Pharaoh,

T., 2002. The Elbe Fault System in North Central Europe—a

basement controlled of crustal weakness. Tectonophysics 360,

281–299.

Schretzenmayr, S., 1993. Bruchkinematik des Haldenslebener

und Gardelegener Abbruchs (Scholle von Calvorde). In: Muller,

P.E., Porth, H. (Eds.), Perm im Ostteil der Norddeutschen

Senke, Geologisches Jahrbuch A, vol. 131, pp. 219–238.

Schultz-Ela, D., Jackson, M.P.A., Vendeville, B., 1993. Mechanics

of active salt diapirism. Tectonophysics 228, 275–312.

Schwab, G., 1985. Palaomobilitat der Norddeutsch–Polnischen

Senke, unpublished thesis B, Akademie der Wissenschaften

der DDR, Potsdam, Germany.

Stackebrandt, W., Franzke, H.J., 1989. Alpidic reactivation of the

variscan consolidated lithosphere—the activity of some fracture

zones in Central Europe. Z. Geol. Wiss. 17, 699–712.

Stewart, S.A., Harvey, M.J., Otto, S.C., Otto, W.P.J., 1996. Influ-

ence of salt on fault geometry: examples from the UK salt

basins. In: Alsop, G.I., Blundell, D.J., Davison, I. (Eds.), Salt

Tectonics, vol. 100. Geological Society of London, Special Pub-

lication, pp. 175–202.

Thybo, H., 1990. A seismic velocity model along the EGT pro-

file—from the North German Basin into the Baltic shield. In:

Freeman, R., Giese, P., Mueller, S. (Eds.), The European Geo-

traverse. Integrative Studies. European Science Foundation,

Strasbourg, pp. 99–108.

Trusheim, F., 1957. Uber Halokinese und ihre Bedeutung fur die

strukturelle Entwicklung Norddeutschlands. Z. Dtsch. Geol.

Ges. 109, 111–151.

Trusheim, F., 1960. Mechanism of salt migration in N. Germany.

AAPG Bull. 44, 1519–1540.

Van Wees, J.D., Cloetingh, S., de Vicente, G., 1996. The role of

pre-existing weak zones in basin evolution: constraints from 2D

finite elements and 3D flexure models. Geol. Soc. London,

Spec. 99, 297–320.

Van Wees, J.D., Stephenson, R.A., Ziegler, P.A., Bayer, U.,

McCann, T., Dadlez, R., Gaupp, R., Narkiewicz, M., Bitzer, F.,

Scheck, M., 2000. On the origin of the Southern Permian Basin,

Central Europe. Mar. Pet. Geol. 17, 43–59.

Vendeville, B.C., Jackson, M.P.A., 1992. The rise of diapirs during

thin-skinned extension. Mar. Pet. Geol. 9, 331–353.

Vendeville, B.C., Hongxing, G., Jackson, M.P.A., 1995. Scale mod-

els of salt tectonics during basement-involved extension. Pet.

Geosci. 1, 179–183.

Zentrales Geologisches Institut—ZGI, 1968–1990: lithologic and

paleogeographic thickness maps of the mesozoic subgroups,

scale 1:500000, Noldeke W. (wissenschaftl. Redaktion), VEB

Kartographischer Dienst Potsdam.

Ziegler, P.A., 1990. Geological Atlas of Western and Central Eu-

rope, 2nd Ed. Shell International Petroleum Mij., B.v., dist. by

Geol. Soc. Publ. House Bath, pp. 1–239.

Zirngast, M., 1996. The development of the Gorleben salt dome

(northwest Germany) based on quantitative analysis of periph-

eral sinks. In: Alsop, G.I., Blundell, D.J., Davison, I. (Eds.), Salt

Tectonics. Geological Society of London, Special Publication

100, pp. 203–226.


Documents

Scheck Et Al 2003