Stratigraphische Begriffe für das Quartär des norddeutschen Vereisungsgebietes

Northern Germany and neighbouring areas affected by the Scandinavian ice sheets are classic regions of Quaternary geology and stratigraphy. The Swiss geologist VON MORLOT (1844) had already presumed that the Nordic ice could have reached the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in Saxony. The discovery of glacial striae on Triassic Muschelkalk in Rüdersdorf near Berlin by TORRELL (1875) led to wide acceptance of the glacial theory in Germany. PENCK (1879) surmised that three separate glaciations had occurred in northern Germany. The mapping of Pleistocene deposits by the Prussian Geological Survey since 1910 was a milestone for Quaternary stratigraphy, and the terms “Elsterian”,”Saalian” and “Weichselian” were introduced into scientific literature. At the start of the 20th century already, Quaternary geologists such as L. SIEGERT, W. WEISSERMEL, K. KEILHACK, R. GRAHMANN and P. WOLDSTEDT described the fundamental context of the glacial history of northern central Europe and its correlation with fluvial processes. Quaternary stratigraphy in Germany has solid foundations, not least due to a dense borehole network and intensively researched sections in open-cast lignite mines. A major stratigraphical factor in this region is the interlocking of glacial and periglacial facies, i.e. the relation between gravel terraces, till deposits, and intercalated interglacial sediments. Their vertical sequence is a classic illustration of key stratigraphical principles.