Facies of Molasse Based on a Section Across the Central Part of the Swiss Plateau
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Facies of Molasse based on a section across the central part of the Swiss Plateau Autor(en): Keller, Beat Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: Swiss bulletin für angewandte Geologie = Swiss bulletin pour la géologie appliquée = Swiss bulletin per la geologia applicata = Swiss bulletin for applied geology Band (Jahr): 17 (2012) Heft 2 PDF erstellt am: 11.10.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-349238 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. 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Introduction The Canton of Lucerne and its neighbouring erations of scientists: In his 1726 monogra- areas offer an excellent insight into the phy on the Pilatus, the Lucernese medical deposits of the Molasse Basin by providing a doctor and engineer, Moritz Anton Kappeler cross-section through the entire stratigraphie (1685 - 1769), provided the first correct sequence from the Lower Marine Molasse genetic interpretation of the conglomerates to the Upper Freshwater Molasse, covering (Nagelfluh) of the Rigi mountain and of the also the entire range of depositional ripple-marks in the Luzerner Sandstein (Fig. environments from the proximal facies of the 1), based on his observations of recent Subalpine Molasse to the distal facies in the deposits in the Gulf of Naples - one hundred North. The often excellent outcrops of the years before Charles Lyell, who in the molasse in the Lucerne area were not only Angloamerican literature is generally seen the target of many excursions (e. g. Matter as the founder of actualism and thus of the et. al 1980) but they also inspired early gen¬ modern geology (Trümpy 2003). The *%**<\JçhÂ} v ; — mt. *n0*»* «& :> *^> " <***%„ - Fig. 1 : Asymmetrie wave ripples, flattended by the falling water table on a bedding plane in the former quarry Untergrund (Lucerne). 1 Keller + Lorenz AG, Tribschenstrasse 61 CH-6005 Luzern, Switzerland [[email protected]] Lucerne Molasse achieved fame also alpine Molasse of the Rigi to the Oligocene, through the groundbreaking monographies thus for the first time recognizing the unit as of Kaufmann (1860, 1872), and only recently a Molasse-nappe dipping southwards Schlunegger et al. (1997) reinterpreted the towards the Alps. Due to the lack of deep sequences of the Napf and the Rigi in the data the real tectonic structure between the light of the alpine orogeny. The paper below overthrust in the south and the monoclinal sums up some of the important events in the fold in the north is unclear until today: Lower Freshwater Molasse, the Upper Trümpy (1979) interpreted the sequence as Marine Molasse and the Upper Freshwater steep folds and imbrications while Burkhart Molasse. For a detailed description of the (1990), with his first palinspastic excursion stops see Keller (2000). reconstruction, interpreted it as a classical, well structured thrust belt, something that was also taken over by Schlunegger et al. (1997). 2. Overview Dipmeter measurement in the 2'300 m geothermal well of Weggis TH1 indicate a complex Stratigraphy imbrication at the base of the mainthrust of the subalpine Molasse (Greber The stratigraphie overview in Fig. 2 explains et al. 1994), a geometry hardly compatible the supergroup of the Molasse as the with the previous interpretation of a well younger part of the sedimentary fill of the structured thrust belt. Keller + Lorenz AG / Alpine Foreland. The transition from the tur- Geoform AG (2011) presented two entirely biditic sediments of the youngest and newly constructed geological-tectonical northernmost alpine Flysch-trough to the Molasse profiles, where the area between the monoclinal sedimentation took place at the base of the fold and the main thrust is presented as a Lower Marine Molasse. The Molasse is simple triangle zone. In addition several, so characterized by two major sedimentary far not known, Permo-Carboniferous sequences, during which large alpine alluvial troughs are shown (Fig. 5). fans prograded. In Central Switzerland these are the alluvial fans of the Rigi-Rossberg in the Lower Freshwater Molasse and of the Napf 3. Lower Freshwater Molasse fan in the youngest Upper Marine Molasse (St. Gallen Formation) and in the Upper Freshwater The excursion gives a unique overview of Molasse. Interestingly we find the Molasse system from the Rigi in the widespread lacustrine deposits at the basis of South to St. Urban and Roggwil in the North, these fan sequences, indicating a temporary leading from the proximal fades of the Lower initial underfill of the Molasse Basin. Freshwater Molasse to the distal facies. In the overthrusted Molasse-nappe of the Tectonic development Rigi, the 3,000 m thick deposits of the Rigi- Rossberg-Fan represent the southernmost The development of the tectonical history and most proximal facies realm. Well visible can best be explained at the example of the from a boat on Lake Lucerne is the westflank Rigi profile (Fig. 4). Kaufmann and Heim of the Rigi Mountain with its pronounced (1919), with their only limited knowledge of thick bands of conglomerates (Fig. 6), which the stratigraphie relationships, saw in their are representing individual sedimentation «anticlinal theory» the Rigi still as the proximal lobes of the alluvial fan consisting of amalgamated, sedimentary realm of the Miocene braided river deposits (Fig. 7). These Upper Marine Molasse. Only the studies of rock bands carry the local name «Riginen». Baumberger (1925, 1929) attributed the sub- Individual conglomerate lobes are separated AGE LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY STAGE LITHOLOGY MA) SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENT a QUARTERNARY Tills and proglacial o. UPHIFTAND EROSION MES II I I I I I III I I TOR 10 UJ UPPER FRESHWATER MOLASSE SRV Prograding alluvial fans, alluvial plains with channel ni belts, temporary extensive lakes (Lake Emmen), U swamps, pedogenesis. Volcanism (Hegau). LAN I o Q. BUR ¦v UPPER MARINE MOLASSE 111 Tide-domiated marine strait tidal flat and channel 111 20 complexes, basal regressive sequences with wave beaches, lakes and Û dominated swamps. III AQT LOWER FRESHWATER MOLASSE alluvial fans, alluvial with channel o Prograding plains IL LU belts, temporary extensive lake and swamp areas, CHT pedogenesis, rare playa evaporites. UI LU 30 U O LOWER MARINE MOLASSE O Wave-dominated, regessive coast transition zone -I RUP and basin, underlain by submarine turbidites and submarine fans in deeper trough. < O 111 X PRB «NORTH-HELVETIC» FLYSCH I- 40 Flysch trough(s) with turbidite-fans, abundant IL BRT volcanic input. o LU ISOLATION 0) OF THE -¦ UJ FORELAND O LUT 35 O UJ HELVETIC PALEOGENE o Transgressive succession with deposits of siliciclas- flL 50 tic coasts, carbonate ramps, passing into pelagic LU YPR sedimentation. BEGINNING m FLEXURE LU TAN BASAL FOREDEEP UNCONFORMITY U Karst with residual sediments, freshwater limestones, O oolithic ironstones, verdine facies. 60 LU «PALEOCENE RESTORATION» < DAN seismotectonic activity ff Q. Updated from Keller 1992 volcanic input ^ Fig. 2: Summary stratigraphie section of the Alpine foredeep (updated from Keller 19921. ¦'¦¦ ..[.il ì. *>féHrff \**r e* ** ^ w-< ,2' ?J J Quaternary 9} M | Upper Freshwater Molasse OSM py ^ J Upper Manne Molasse OMM Ä s^csl^*- 1 Lower Freshwater Molasse USM I Lower Marine Molasse UMM jjj Lower Oligocene Rhine Graben J Crystalline basement and external „massifs» Vlain thrust of the Subalp.ne Molasse Viain thrust of the Alpine Nappes afte, Keller et al 1990 Fig. 3: Generalized geological map of the Swiss Molasse Basin (after Keller et al. 1990). Indicated are the sections of Fig. 5 and the stops of the excursion. by stronger weathering, sandy-pelitic (outskirts of Lucerne, coordinates: deposits from flooding periods, partly with 668'850/210'950). Here amalgamated stacked soil formation. Within these up to several channel belts of sandy braided rivers can be tens of meter thick conglomerate beds we observed with lateral sand bars and internal observe from south to north a transition cross-bedding of megaripples. At the top and from proximal to distal fan deposits, accompanied in an erosional contact the sequence is overlain by a decrease in thickness of the by heterolithic, partially pedogenic beds and of the grain size. A trend from distal flooding deposits. These are occasionally to more proximal deposits can be accompanied by several metre-thick observed vertically, from the oldest structureless sheetflow conglomerates. deposits at the base, near Weggis, to the topmost deposits above the village of Vitznau: The marlpits at St. Urban LU (coord. The sedimentary bodies get thicker 631'500/228'650) Roggwil BE (coord. upwards in the sequence and are getting 630'100/230'200) provide excellent outcrops more amalgamated, while the grain size of the distal facies of the Lower Freshwater shows a coarsening upwards trend from 0.1 Molasse.