Preface

1. Introduction 1

2. Exploration history of the German North Sea sector 2

3. Regional setting 4

4. The structural units of the German North Sea sector 5
4.1 The Central Graben 5
4.2 The Schillgrund High, the East North Sea Block and its southeastern
extensions 6
4.3 The Horngraben system 6
4.4 The East Frisia - Ems Estuary region 8
4.5 The Central Northwest German Basin 9
4.6 The West Schleswig Block 10
4.7 The western margin of the Glückstadt-Graben 10
4.8 The southern margin of the Ringköbing - Fyn High 11

5. The palaeogeographical and structural development of the German
North Sea sector and adjacent areas 11
5.1 The pre-Permian sediments 11
5.2 Permian 17
5.2.1 Lower Permian (Rotliegend) (r) 17
5.2.2 Upper Permian (Zechstein) (z) 19
5.3 Triassic 21
5.3.1 Lower and Middle Buntsandstein (Skythian) (su+sm) 21
5.3.2 Solling Formation (smS), Röt (so) and Muschelkalk (m) 22
5.3.3 Keuper (k) 22
5.4 Lower and Middle Jurassic (ju, jm) 23
5.5 Late Jurassic - Ryazanian (jo, Wd) 24
5.6 Lower Cretaceous (kru) 25
5.7 Upper Cretaceous (kro) 25
5.8 Tertiary (t) 26

6. Literature 28

7. Supplement 36
7.1 Introduction 36
7.2 The post-Permian structures 37