Impact of Late Cretaceous to Neogene plate tectonics and Quaternary ice loads on supra-salt deposits at Eastern Glückstadt Graben, North German Basin

Huster, Hendrik; Hübscher, Christian; Seidel, Elisabeth

doi:10.1007/s00531-020-01850-8

Cited by 10 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Salt movement persisted during the late Eocene to Miocene indicated by the development of peripheral sinks and crestal faulting above the salt structures "Schleimünde" and "Kieler Bucht" with increased infill of the crestal graben with Eocene-Miocene deposits. This is in accordance to previous studies investigating the eastern Glückstadt Graben (onshore: Baldschuhn et al, 2001;Maystrenko et al, 2005a;offshore: Al Hseinat et al, 2016;Hansen et al, 2005;Huster et al, 2020).…”

Section: Cenozoic Salt Movementsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…In the Eastholstein Trough in the western Bay of Kiel, salt flow was reactivated in the late Eocene to Oligocene; this was accompanied by faulting above the outer salt wall (Al Hseinat et al, 2016). Huster et al (2020) noticed that this Eocene phase of salt tectonics started contemporaneous to resumed approx. N-S directed late Eocene to early Miocene intraplate compression related to the Alpine and Pyrenean orogenies (Kley, 2018).…”

Section: Late Cretaceous To Recent Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Late Cretaceous inversion and Cenozoic extension on salt structure growth in the Baltic sector of the North German Basin

et al. 2021

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The Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic is known for its multiple inversion events, which affected Central Europe's intracontinental sedimentary basins. Based on a 2D seismic profile network imaging the basin fill without gaps from the base Zechstein to the seafloor, we investigate the nature and impact of these inversion events on Zechstein salt structures in the Baltic sector of the North German Basin. These insights improve the understanding of salt structure evolution in the region and are of interest for any type of subsurface usage. We link stratigraphic interpretation to previous studies and nearby wells and present key seismic depth sections and thickness maps with a new stratigraphic subdivision for the Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic covering the eastern Glückstadt Graben and the Bays of Kiel and Mecklenburg. Time-depth conversion is based on velocity information derived from refraction travel-time tomography. Our results show that minor salt movement in the eastern Glückstadt Graben and in the Bay of Mecklenburg started contemporaneous with Late Cretaceous inversion in the Coniacian-Santonian. Minor salt movement continued until the end of the Late Cretaceous. Overlying upper Paleocene and lower Eocene deposits show constant thickness without indications for salt movement suggesting a phase of tectonic quiescence from the late Paleocene to middle Eocene. In the late Eocene to Oligocene, major salt movement recommenced in the eastern Glückstadt Graben. In the Bays of Kiel and Mecklenburg, late Neogene uplift removed much of the Eocene-Miocene succession. Preserved deposits indicate major post-middle Eocene salt movement, which likely occurred coeval with the revived activity in the Glückstadt Graben. Cenozoic salt structure growth critically exceeded salt flow during Late Cretaceous inversion. Cenozoic salt movement could have been triggered by Alpine/Pyrenean-controlled thin-skinned compression, but is more likely controlled by thin-skinned extension, possibly related to the beginning development of the European Cenozoic Rift System.

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Section: Cenozoic Salt Movementsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Late Cretaceous To Recent Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Late Cretaceous inversion and Cenozoic extension on salt structure growth in the Baltic sector of the North German Basin

et al. 2021

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“…As a consequence of this study, it seems likely that all apparent anticlines interpreted by Al Hseinat and Hübscher (2017) are imaging artefacts, which rules out the idea of ice‐load‐induced salt tectonics and related tunnel valley evolution. It should be noted that the related conceptual model of ice‐load‐induced salt flow into salt pillows or salt diapirs holds (Sirocko et al ., 2008; Lehné and Sirocko, 2010; Lang et al ., 2014; Al Hseinat et al ., 2016; Huster et al ., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A proven general impact of laterally different ice‐load on salt flow and upward fault propagation could stimulate discussions on the eligibility of salt diapirs as high‐level nuclear waste repositories. This discussion had started already because several studies strongly suggested that laterally varying ice‐load and glacial isostatic adjustment may cause salt flow into salt diapirs (Sirocko et al ., 2008; Lehné and Sirocko, 2010; Lang et al ., 2014; Al Hseinat et al ., 2016; Huster et al ., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misinterpretation of velocity pull‐ups caused by high‐velocity infill of tunnel valleys in the southern Baltic Sea

Frahm

Hübscher

Warwel

et al. 2020

Near Surface Geophysics

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In this study, we undertake a renewed investigation of up-bent reflections seen in seismic time sections from the Baltic Sea, Bay of Kiel. These warped reflections stretch over the entire vertical extent of the sections, from Permian to Quaternary strata, and underlie tunnel valleys. Previous studies interpreted these structures as anticlines, explaining them together with adjacent faults and disrupted strata as the consequence of ice-load-induced salt tectonics. This conclusion would have influenced theories on how tunnel valleys formed. However, well data from tunnel valleys in other regions supported the interpretation of the up-bent reflections as imaging artefacts (pull-ups). A newly acquired long-offset, multichannel seismic data set images all strata from Base Zechstein up to the seafloor. Owing to the length of the streamer and a shallow water depth, the data display significant moveout and refracted waves, allowing the application of different quantitative methods to investigate velocities. By generating partialoffset sections, we reveal an offset dependence in the imaging of the up-bent structures caused by a local, near-surface high-velocity zone. This also explains a smoothing of the up-bending with depth in the seismic image. A velocity model gained by a traveltime tomography shows positive velocity anomalies in the upper strata correlating with tunnel valleys resolved in the reflection images. A pre-stack depth migration performed with a velocity model containing a high-velocity zone results in a seismic image almost free of the observed up-bent reflections. High-frequency reflection seismic data confirm this result as it shows a detailed image of a tunnel valley with a phase-reversed bottom reflection caused by the velocity inversion at the base of the high-velocity valley fill deposits. Hence, there is consistent evidence that all up-bent reflections in the Bay of Kiel are imaging artefacts (pull-ups) that formed beneath tunnel valleys. A salt tectonic control on tunnel valley evolution is, consequently, not likely. This study is the first purely seismic data-driven study that proves high-velocity valley fill deposits. Our findings imply that extra care must be taken when interpreting reflection undulations as tectonic features where glacial deposits are present.

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“…Melt-and groundwater flow, not included in this modelling study, and the presence of aquifers in the subsurface connected to the ice sheet base can be essential factors in the distribution of subsurface pressures and the dissipation of overpressures (Boulton and Caban, 1995;Person et al, 2007;Rodrigues Duran et al, 2013). Additionally, high pressures from vertical ice loading can result in fault reactivation (Brandes et al, 2011) as well as salt movement (Lang et al, 2014) and affect Pleistocene and Holocene supra-salt sediments as observed in the Eastern Glückstadt Graben in Northern Germany (Huster et al, 2020). A similar setting with thick salt sequences piercing to a shallow depth is present in the Netherlands.…”

Section: Pressure and Porositymentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Quaternary glaciations on subsurface temperatures, pore pressures, rock properties and petroleum systems in the onshore northeastern Netherlands

Amberg

Sachse

Littke

et al. 2022

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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Pleistocene glacial stages were implemented into a 3D basin and petroleum systems model of the northeastern Netherlands to address the influence of low surface temperatures and the mechanical loading of ice sheets on the subsurface. Two ice sheet thickness scenarios were used based on published data. Overall, Quaternary glacial stages have a substantial impact on the temperature and pressure distribution in the subsurface. Subsurface temperatures are significantly reduced during glacial stages, leading to lowered present-day temperatures and a low geothermal gradient in the shallow subsurface. In deeply buried sedimentary formations, pressures build up with every glacial advance resulting in overpressures at the present day. Glacial stages do not directly influence the petroleum generation of petroleum source rocks in the area, but high pressures during loading might have impacted petroleum expulsion of the early mature Coevorden Formation. Hydrocarbon accumulations in the Lower Saxony Basin were simulated to investigate the possible effects of mechanical ice loading and unloading on hydrocarbon migration. A loss of Coevorden Formation-sourced hydrocarbons to the surface was calculated in the Lower Saxony Basin during the glacial stages, indicating an influence of glacial loading on the Mesozoic petroleum system.

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Impact of Late Cretaceous to Neogene plate tectonics and Quaternary ice loads on supra-salt deposits at Eastern Glückstadt Graben, North German Basin

Cited by 10 publications

References 47 publications

Impact of Late Cretaceous inversion and Cenozoic extension on salt structure growth in the Baltic sector of the North German Basin

Impact of Late Cretaceous inversion and Cenozoic extension on salt structure growth in the Baltic sector of the North German Basin

Misinterpretation of velocity pull‐ups caused by high‐velocity infill of tunnel valleys in the southern Baltic Sea

Influence of Quaternary glaciations on subsurface temperatures, pore pressures, rock properties and petroleum systems in the onshore northeastern Netherlands

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