Late Cenozoic sedimentary evolution of the German North Sea - A seismic stratigraphic approach

Late Cenozoic sedimentation in the southern North Sea Basin was dominated by a large prograding delta system. In the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene its main depocentre was located in the German part of the North Sea. Comparatively little is known about the delta evolution during this time-period. Here we present the results of a detailed seismic stratigraphic analysis, which was carried out in the German North Sea sector based mainly on 2D and 3D seismic data. The sedimentary succession has been subdivided into seven seismic units (SU1-SU7), which are separated by distinct seismic surfaces that represent major depositional or erosional boundaries. New biostratigraphic data available in five boreholes were used to date the seismic units. They were further compared with units defined in the surrounding North Sea sectors and correlated with global paleoclimate records. Based on this comparison, a scenario for the Late Cenozoic evolution of the southern North Sea is proposed. While high basin subsidence superimposed the depositional pattern during earliest development in the Middle to Late Miocene, global eustatic sea level variations are becoming increasingly important in the latest Miocene to Pliocene. Our findings contribute to a more comprehensive and refined view on the Late Cenozoic sedimentary evolution in the southern North Sea Basin.