The Elbe Palaeovalley: Evolution from an ice-marginal valley to a sedimentary trap (SE North Sea)

Özmaral, A.; Abegunrin, Ayobami; Keil, Hanno; Hepp, Daniel A.; Schwenk, Tilmann; Lantzsch, Hendrik; Mörz, Tobias; Spieß, V.

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107453

Cited by 7 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…These buried tunnel valleys are the oldest identified structures and composed of mainly glacio-fluvial sands (Coughlan et al, 2018;Hepp et al, 2012) incising Neogene and late Palaeogene sediments (Lohrberg et al, 2020;Winsemann et al, 2020). While the exact processes responsible for the origin and formation of these tunnel valleys, which are widespread in the North Sea and northern Europe, remains contentious in the literature (Cofaigh, 1996;Huuse and Lykke-Andersen, 2000;van der Vegt et al, 2012;Winsemann et al, 2020), they are generally believed to occur roughly parallel to the direction of ice flow and serve as key conduits for meltwater discharge underneath the continental ice sheets (Özmaral et al, 2022;Stewart et al, 2013). The base of the buried tunnel valleys is undulating and lack a general dip across profiles, these characteristic features clearly distinguished tunnel valleys from fluvial channels which have a hydrodynamic flow and gradient (Lonergan et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although studies by Papenmeier and Hass (2020) and Özmaral et al (2022) detailed the evolution and stratigraphic infill of the EPV, this study for the first-time shed light on the PES/EPV morphologic and stratigraphic relationship. The EPV, a now mostly buried geomorphological shallow trough, was the main drainage pathway for meltwater from the southern margin of the Scandinavian ice sheet as well as rivers draining the North European plain (Figge, 1983;Özmaral et al, 2022;Papenmeier and Hass, 2020). The PES on the other hand has been shown to be one of the major tributaries of this approximately 210 km long EPV situated in the south-eastern North Sea (Hepp et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This valley extends from the southwest of Helgoland in a northwest-southeast direction through the whole German North Sea sector with an expression in the form of a shallow depression on the modern sea floor. Özmaral et al (2022) and Papenmeier and Hass (2020) gave a comprehensive seismo-stratigraphic classification of the EPV infill which were ground-truthed with core data. The Özmaral et al (2022) classification sub-divided the EPV infill into five major intervals as shown in Figure 2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The submerged Palaeo-Ems River in the Quaternary stratigraphic context of the German North Sea

Abegunrin,

Hepp,

Gugliotta

et al. 2023

The Holocene

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During the Late Pleistocene, the Palaeo-Ems system (PES) was one of the major tributary channels feeding the Elbe Palaeovalley (EPV) and formed an important part of the drainage system of the continental northwestern Europe unglaciated hinterland. In this study, a detailed interpretation of high-resolution 2D sub-bottom profiler and Boomer grids were used to map the overall course of the submerged PES channel, as well as its spatial and stratigraphic relationships with other Quaternary geological units in the German North Sea. Mapping of buried tunnel valleys, a lacustrine-fill unit, straight channel structures was also carried out. The sedimentary record of the PES is represented by a low gradient and meandering channel which branched into two major pathways as it approached the EPV western flank. Its upstream to downstream trends, coupled with seaward decreasing gradient and sinuosity, are similar to those visible in present-day river deltas. Both the PES and EPV subsequently formed a combined depositional system, which was successively drowned due to the fast-rising relative sea level that overwhelmed the adaptation capabilities of the joint drainage system. For the first time, this study sheds light onto the PES/EPV morpho-stratigraphic relationships which played a key role in the coastal landscape architecture of the German North Sea since the Late Pleistocene.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The submerged Palaeo-Ems River in the Quaternary stratigraphic context of the German North Sea

Abegunrin,

Hepp,

Gugliotta

et al. 2023

The Holocene

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“…The Elbe Palaeovalley is a geomorphological shallow trough that transcends the entire German North Sea sector (Figge 1983; Papenmeier & Hass 2020; Özmaral et al . 2022; Fig. 2A).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 93%

“…2020; Özmaral et al . 2022), which is crucial for future exploration of individual wind farms during the early stages of subsurface investigation (Bot et al . 2005).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratigraphic and geotechnical characterization of regionally extensive and highly competent shallow sand units in the southern North Sea

Fleischer

Abegunrin

Hepp

et al. 2022

Boreas

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A detailed stratigraphic and geotechnical investigation of the uppermost 50 m below the sea floor was carried out for parts of the German North Sea sector using combined information from shallow seismic reflection surveys, 50‐m‐long sediment cores and cone penetration tests covering an area of ~150 km2. While most recent studies concentrate on unusual features such as buried tunnel‐ or river‐valleys, this study focused on the less well understood, regionally dominant sand units deposited after the retreat of the last glaciers in this region. We identified two sandy units which dominate the late‐ to post‐Saalian geology: (i) the Upper Fluvial Member, believed to be derived from deposition of the Weser, Ems and Elbe palaeorivers as well as other tributaries of the Elbe Palaeovalley in the NE during the Saalian; and (ii) the Aeolian Member, which correlates with periglacial deposits of Weichselian age. Additionally, a Saalian Buried Valley Member believed to comprise fluvial deposit was also identified. Key stratigraphic units within the uppermost 50 m below the sea floor were also identified and mapped. Detailed geotechnical properties were obtained for each of the individual stratigraphic units. The regional extent of the Aeolian and Upper Fluvial Members was documented in the region west of the Elbe Palaeovalley and south of the Dogger Bank, where their geotechnical properties are important for foundation design. In conclusion, the study complements the established regional geotechno‐stratigraphy and offers new and detailed publically accessible information beneficial for offshore wind farm development within the region.

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The Middle Noteć Valley—The Landscape of an Ice-Marginal Valley and Its Surroundings

Kasprzak,

Ewertowski,

Szuman

et al. 2024

World Geomorphological Landscapes

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The Elbe Palaeovalley: Evolution from an ice-marginal valley to a sedimentary trap (SE North Sea)

Cited by 7 publications

References 89 publications

The submerged Palaeo-Ems River in the Quaternary stratigraphic context of the German North Sea

The submerged Palaeo-Ems River in the Quaternary stratigraphic context of the German North Sea

Stratigraphic and geotechnical characterization of regionally extensive and highly competent shallow sand units in the southern North Sea

The Middle Noteć Valley—The Landscape of an Ice-Marginal Valley and Its Surroundings

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