Schichtenfolge

Schichtenfolge refers to the serial arrangement of sedimentary beds in a rock succession, representing the sequence of deposition in time. It is a central concept of stratigraphy and is used to reconstruct past environments and geological history.

In principle, layers are arranged from oldest at the bottom to youngest at the top, following the law of superposition, though later tectonic processes may complicate the order; unconformities may interrupt deposition.

Methods used to study Schichtenfolge include field description of lithology, bedding contacts, fossil content, and chemical data; correlation across exposures; and the construction of a stratigraphic column. Sequence stratigraphy analyzes changes in sediment supply and accommodation space, highlighting sequence boundaries and depositional sequences.

Applications of Schichtenfolge include natural resource exploration (such as oil and gas), groundwater assessment, and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The term is typically used in German-language geology and corresponds to the English concept of stratigraphic succession or stratigraphic sequence.