Zechsteinfälten

Zechsteinfälten refers to the Zechstein Sea, a major geological event that occurred during the Late Permian period. This period, approximately 252 to 259 million years ago, saw the formation of a large, shallow, and arid inland sea that covered much of what is now northern Europe. The Zechstein Sea was characterized by arid climatic conditions leading to significant evaporation. This evaporation caused the concentration of dissolved salts in the seawater.

Over time, as evaporation continued and the sea became more restricted, a series of evaporite deposits accumulated on the seafloor. These deposits consist of various minerals, most notably halite (rock salt), anhydrite, and potash salts. The Zechstein period is divided into several cycles, each representing a phase of transgression (sea level rise) and regression (sea level fall), leading to distinct layers of evaporites. These salt deposits are economically important today, serving as a source for salt extraction and as a geological barrier for underground storage and oil and gas reservoirs due to their impermeability. The Zechsteinfälten, therefore, represent a significant chapter in Earth's geological history, leaving behind valuable mineral resources and influencing the subsurface geology of a vast region.