Facies and paleogeography of the Tertiary of the Lower Rhine Basin - sedimentary versus climatic control

Abstract

Based on recent studies, the impact of global sea-level and climate change on the paleogeographic and sedimentary evolution of the Tertiary of the Lower Rhine Basin is analysed. It is shown that major changes in global climate and sea-level, such as the high-stand during the Middle Miocene climate optimum, the extreme low-stands near the base of the Tortonian and within the Messinian, are clearly reflected in the sedimentary succession. Continental climate curves, as reconstructed from Tertiary macrofloras of the Lower Rhine Basin, can be correlated with the marine, long-term isotope record. As shown by the analyses, a warm and humid climate with mean annual temperatures above 13°C and mean annual precipitation not below 1000 mm, persisted throughout the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene. Continental, high-resolution, climate data show that Late Miocene alternations of lignites and elastics are rather caused by tectonic and sedimentary processes (such as the repeated migration of the river system) than by major climate changes.

Late- and post-Variscan cooling and exhumation history of the northern Rhenish massif and the southern Ruhr Basin: new constraints from fission-track analysis

“…The moderate to low Mesozoic and early Tertiary cooling rates (Table 4), as predicted from modelling FT data, imply that epirogenetic rather than rapid tectonic movements or thermal events caused erosion and cooling during this period. For Oligocene to Recent times, regional erosional cooling is probably linked to the development of the nearby Rhine Graben (Utescher et al 2002). Continuous fall in regional base level with subsidence of the lower Rhine Basin could have triggered accelerated denudation and sediment discharge from the adjacent Rhenish massif.…”

A reinterpretation of the ages and depositional environments of the lower and middle Miocene stratigraphic records in a key area along the southern margin of the North Sea Basin

“…The location of this cross-section is indicated in Figure 1. Modified after Hager (1993), Van Adrichem Boogaert & Kouwe (1997) and Utescher, Mosbrugger & Ashraf, (2002). …”

Clinoform migration patterns of a Late Miocene delta complex in the Danish Central Graben; implications for relative sea‐level changes

“…The climate during the Miocene was dominated by a warm temperate to subtropical conditions with summer rain (Koch, 1989; Utescher et al , 2002). A cooler period occurred in the Early Miocene (Mai, 1967; Utescher et al , 2002; Larson et al , 2006) and a warm climate dominated in the early Middle Miocene; the so‐called Middle Miocene climatical optimum (Zachos et al , 2001). A climatic deterioration took place in the Late Miocene (Utescher et al , 2002).…”

“…A cooler period occurred in the Early Miocene (Mai, 1967; Utescher et al , 2002; Larson et al , 2006) and a warm climate dominated in the early Middle Miocene; the so‐called Middle Miocene climatical optimum (Zachos et al , 2001). A climatic deterioration took place in the Late Miocene (Utescher et al , 2002). The North Sea Basin was located within the high latitude Atlantic realm with westerly winter storms.…”