DEUQUA excursions Edited by Daniela Sauer From the northern ice shield to the Alpine glaciations A Quaternary field trip through Germany GEOZON From the northern ice shield to the Alpine glaciations Preface Daniela Sauer The 10-day field trip described in this excursion guide was organized by a group of members of DEUQUA (Deutsche Quartärvereinigung = German Quaternary Union), coordinated by DEUQUA president Margot Böse. The tour was offered as a pre-congress field trip of the INQUA Congress in Bern, Switzerland, 21– 27 July 2011. Finally, the excursion got cancelled because not enough participants had registered. Apparently, many people were interested in the excursion but did not book it because of the high costs related to the 10-day trip. Because of the general interest, we decided nevertheless to finish the excursion guide. The route of the field trip follows a section through Germany from North to South, from the area of the Northern gla- ciation, to the Alpine glacial advances. It includes several places of historical importance, where milestones in Quaternary research have been achieved in the past, as well as new interesting sites where results of recent research is presented. The field trip starts at Greifswald in the very North-East of Germany. The first day is devoted to the Pleistocene and Ho- locene Evolution of coastal NE Germany. The Baltic coast with its characteristic cliffs provides excellent exposures showing the Late Pleistocene and Holocene stratigraphy and glaciotectonics. The most spectacular cliffs that are located on the island of Rügen, the largest island of Germany (926 km2) are shown. In the morning of the second day, the Geopark “Mecklenburg Ice Age Landscape” in NE Germany will be visited. It comprises a glacial landscape that is representative for the lowlands of central Europe. The close relationship between the geological heritage and the development of the cultural landscape are demonstrated. During the Weichselian glaciation the region was covered by ice at least in three phases (Brandenburg, Pomeranian, Mecklenburg Phase). Each ice advance is recognizable by distinctive formations, especially end moraines and tills. From the afternoon of day 2 until the morning of day 4 of the excursion, the young moraine landscape around Berlin will be explored. The Pomeranian ice marginal position (IMP), showing the most prominent ice marginal features in NE Germany, will be visited. Another highlight will be a complete record of the Eemian interglacial that has been preserved in lake sediments and is fully exposed at present. The five sites shown in this area altogether comprise an age range from the Saalian (penultimate glacial period; MIS 6) to the late Weichselian (last glacial period). Day 5 is dedicated to Quaternary geology and prehistorical findings in an area South of Halle (West of Leipzig). Here, deposits of the Elsterian (third last glacial) and Saalian (penultimate glacial) will be shown. The main topic of days 6 and 7 is the Quaternary valley and slope development in the headwaters of the Main River in Upper Franconia. Evidence of several changes in the courses of the rivers will be demonstrated. Day 8 will deal with Pleistocene to rather recent landslides at the Swabian Jurassic Escarpment South of Reutlingen. Based on the observations at the visited sites the risk of landslides in the area will be discussed. In the morning of day 9 we will arrive in the area characterized by moraine ridges and river terraces of the penultimate Alpine glaciation (Rissian; corresponding to Saalian in northern Germany). A historical highlight will be the Rissian locus typicus near Biberach a. d. Riss. The excursion will continue southwards, approaching the Last Glacial (Würmian) terminal moraine and following it to the West, studying Last Glacial till, glacio-fluvial and laminated limnic sediments along the way. We will stay overnight at Lake Constance. The last day of the excursion will deal with the Pleistocene history of the Danube and Rhine river systems. We will see dry valleys illustrating the river history. Highlights will be a walk into the Wutach Canyon. After a short boat trip across the Rhine River looking at the famous Rhine water fall, a 2 hour bus trip will take the group to Bern. 4 Bundesrepublik Deutschland Orohydrographische Karte 1: 2500000 6° ö.L.v.Greenwich 15° 7° 55° 8° 14° 55° 9° 10° 11° 12° 13° N O Tåsinge Femø Als Drejø R Fejø MØN DANMARK lt D æ N Askø b Hjelm Bugt F Sylt Kegnæs s FALSTER o d R Ærø n r a I Langeland l d e OSTSEE E g f n S Föhr LOLLAND r a I i L S e l n Amrum s e C D i e l g ei H a n l F H a l l i g e n n A ch ehm Hiddensee E d S ar nb Prorer I Pellworm e Ummanz NORDSEE N K Fehmarn lt Bock Wiek S Nordstrand iel E er Bucht L RÜGEN N Kan al Kiel Eider Mecklenburger Vilm D W V Greifswalder i a g Bucht t r i e n Bodden h o m rsche B ucht Helgoland ee- Pomme ars sts r Helgoländer O cht Rostock (Zatoka Pomorska) r Bu Wustrow p 54° Buch c cke o 54° t h be m e Lü Poel m n - e Wolin rd r n Neuwerk o Usedom S E N Peene S C H E I N L N E S I Lübeck Kummerower R I Wangerooge Stettiner Haff T F Langeoog Warnow See (Zalew Szczecinski) O S Norderney A Juist Spiekeroog Schweriner Baltrum Mellum See Borkum M e c k l e Schwerin n b Schiermonnikoog HAMBURG u r Bremerhaven Oste g Kölpinsee er Wad i Groning Ems-Jade-Kanal Jade- Elde s Tollense- SZCZECIN c h busen e see Ostfriesland Plauer Reitdiep See S . e r Müritz e t n k s r p e l r rgh- s a rkenbo Groningen s t t a n Sta a e Va -W B kanaal Elbe e m Hunte ld Wilseder Berg z-E r rit Ems ü Oldenburg BREMEN M e (Oldenburg) Wümme 169 P r i g n i t z k 53° NEDERLAND kanal Havel c 53° L ü n e b u r g e r Wendland Küsten- U Oder d Weser l E Havel- Kana H e i d e l er- b Dosse Od n Aller Drentsche e - POLSKA S Hoofdvaard e i a Hunte t e n - l k a n Warthe a s l A l t m a r k e H Hase n i a BERLIN e m L v Vecht Steinhuder Aller e Dümmer l l l a D E Meer n d e s V o s e r Havel Potsdam c t J h m I t M e HANNOVER i u tte Ohre n al lla Elbe vel d Mittell n nd Ha -Kanal Spree- - and ka Wolfsburg k - - a e Oder- n lb a E Kanal Osnabrück l Twente- kanaal Ems- Enschede BRAUN- SCHWEIG Oder C Spree K. 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