Main Franconian plates

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Main Franconian plates
surface 5 303.2  km²
Systematics according to Handbook of the natural spatial structure of Germany
Greater region 1st order 07–23 → Layer level land on both
sides of the Upper Rhine Rift
Greater region 2nd order 08–16 →
Southwest German layer level country
Greater region 3rd order 12–13 →
Swabian-Franconian Gau
Main unit group 13 →
Main Franconian plates
Natural area characteristics
Landscape type Layered landscape ( shell limestone , grave field: Lettenkeuper )
Highest peak Dolmar , volcanic singularity ( 739  m )
Geographical location
Coordinates 49 ° 54 ′ 0 ″  N , 10 ° 6 ′ 0 ″  E Coordinates: 49 ° 54 ′ 0 ″  N , 10 ° 6 ′ 0 ″  E
Mainfränkische Platten (Southwest German step country)
Main Franconian plates
Location Mainfränkische Platten
state Bavaria , Thuringia , Baden-Wuerttemberg
Country Germany

The Mainfränkische Platten (in the vernacular sometimes just referred to as the Franconian plate or also as the [Main] Franconian Gäufläche or Gäuplatte ) are a largely unwooded landscape in the north of the south-west German layer level country . Together with the Neckar and Taubergäuplatten to the southwest, they represent the strata of the shell limestone and together form a large third order region .

The Mainfränkische Platten form the largest natural spatial main unit group in the northern Bavarian administrative district of Lower Franconia .

location

The Main Franconian Plates (13) form their northernmost natural spatial main unit group within the large landscape of the south-west German layer level country . In the west the main unit group borders the Odenwald, Spessart and Südrhön (14), in the east the Franconian Keuper-Lias-Land (11). To the southwest, the border to the Neckar and Tauber-Gäuplatten (12) follows roughly the state border between Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg , but deviates slightly from the political border, so that very small parts of the southwest are also in the latter state.

The change of landscape in the north, towards the low mountain range threshold, is clearer . Here in the three-country area Thuringia- Bavaria-Hesse borders the East Hessian Uplands (35, west north) with the Rhön and further east the Thuringian-Franconian low mountain range (39, east north) with the Thuringian Forest , whose elevations, however, are largely covered by red sandstone roofs from the Main Franconian Plates are separated.

Landscape characteristics

The landscape strip of rocks of the shell limestone and Lettenkeuper with locally widespread loess layer is predominantly flat-wavy to hilly in relief, with a few more deeply incised valleys. In particular in the gently undulating areas covered with loess, arable farming dominates the impression of the landscape. For this reason, the Main Franconian plates are sometimes referred to in a simplistic and incorrect way as Gäufläche. All in all, the Main Franconian Plates differ greatly from the rich in relics and wooded ridges of the Buntsandstein in the west ( Spessart , Rhön ) and north ( Salzunger Werrabergland , southern foreland of the Thuringian Forest ) and the sandstone keuper in the east ( Haßberge , Steigerwald ).

Only the Werra-Gäuplatten in the north, which almost reach the heights of the adjacent red sandstone ridge of the southern foothills of the Thuringian Forest, take on a slightly montane character .

By far the highest peaks are volcanic singularities in the north such as the Dolmar (740 m) at the interface with the Thuringian Forest Foreland and the two Gleichberg mountains (679 and 641 m) at the interface between the Grabfeld and the Werra-Gäuplatten.

Geology and tectonics

The geological foundation of the Main Franconian Plates is formed by sedimentary rocks from the time of the Muschelkalk, which fall slightly (on average almost 2 °) to SE . It is mainly hard limestones and dolomites . The Middle Muschelkalk , on the other hand, contains significant amounts of evaporites . In the west of Mainfränkisches plate and the underlying be in valleys clay and sandstones of red sandstone cut, the eastern half transmits a wide area a circulation of Lettenkeuper ( Low keuper ), a sequence tonig- marly rocks with many limestone and sandstone benches. On the eastern edge, clayey gypsum keuper ( Grabfeld formation , Middle Keuper ) appears in places . This basic principle is regionally modified by tectonic deformations and fractures. The main fault direction is NW-SE. Saddle - trough structures in the northern half of the Mainfränkische Platte run in the same direction . The Kissingen - Hassfurt fault zone between Schweinfurt Mulde and Grabfeld- Mulde is important. In contrast, in the southern half of the Platten (around Würzburg), the saddle-trough structures SW-NO, for example the well-known Thüngersheimer saddle, paint. Over the Triassic rocks there is extensive cold-age loess, or - at shorter distances from the expansive area - drifting sand . In loess-free areas there are widespread solifluction layers on the surface.

Climate and landscape

In relation to the surrounding natural areas, the Main Franconian Plates, in the lee of Spessart and Rhön, are relatively dry with 550 to 600 mm of precipitation per year, with annual average temperatures between 8.5 and 9.5 ° C. The problem of drought is exacerbated regionally by karst-prone limestones of the shell limestone, as the rock has little storage capacity.
In the karstification-capable rocks of the shell limestone, there are basically few surface running waters. The simultaneous erosion resistance of the limestone results in steeply cut river valleys when shell limestone is cut (the main valley is often viewed as a separate natural unit). In shell limestone areas, which are more rich in relics, there is often forest cover as the dominant landscape feature. The soils here are mostly rendzinen .
The soft Lettenkeuper overlay on the wide areas ensures a more balanced relief in the eastern half of the Main Franconian plates. The widespread loess layer enhances this effect. The common soil community is parabrown from loess. The soils, which are easy to work and fertile, but are sensitive to erosion, have been under intensive arable farming for centuries . This gives the spacious, open landscape of the Main Franconian plates its characteristic character.

Natural structure

The Main Franconian plates are naturally divided into main units (three digits) and sub-units (decimal places) as follows:

The units 138 1 Grabfeld and 138 2 Werra-Gäuplatten are summarized under the consistency 138 Grabfeldgau , but each represent separate main units. The fact that these did not have their own three-digit numbers is due to the tens system.

Brief description of the main units

The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation has published landscape profiles throughout Germany, which are largely based on the natural spatial structure and mostly describe a main unit. The main difference is that the agglomeration areas are always shown separately.

The following is a table of all landscapes of the Main Franconian plates for which a BfN landscape profile exists:

unit

 Surname

 Location
[to the Main]
 Area
[km²]
 Landscape characteristics

 relief

 geology
 Remarks
130 Ochsenfurt Gau and Gollachgau S
[l] 		561 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land flat wave Unterkeuper, Loess (Quaternary)
131 Windsheim Bay S (SO)
[l] 		193 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land flat wave Unterkeuper, Gipskeuper (lower Mittelkeuper) southernmost unit, in a western indentation between Steigerwald and Frankenhöhe
132 Marktheidenfelder Platte SW
[l] 		574 Wooded or wooded arable landscape moderate to strong Shell limestone between Main Triangle and Main Square
133 Middle Main Valley
(without Würzburg) 		(S)
[M] 		196 Cultivated landscape with viticulture Sole notch valley Shell limestone, crushed stone (Quaternary) Main triangle
133.V Wurzburg Z-SW
[M] 		62 Urban agglomeration remote from nature weak Muschelkalk, Unterkeuper, gravel (Quaternary) some peripheral urban areas on plateaus of adjacent units
134 Gäuplatten in the Main Triangle Z (-S)
[r] 		389 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land flat wave Unterkeuper, gravel (Quaternary) South-eastern half of the Main Triangle
135 Wern-Lauer-Platte
(without northwest) 		W (-Z)
[r] 		Wooded or wooded arable landscape moderate to strong Shell limestone West of the Main Triangle
135.5-6 Hammelburg-Münnerstädter Wellenkalkgebiet W
[r] 		244 Heather or Lean, grassy forest landscape relatively strong Lower Muschelkalk Zone north of the Karlstadt-Münnerstadt line to Saale Valley, also includes small parts in the far west of 135.3
136 Schweinfurt Basin
(without Schweinfurt) 		Z [M] 116 Open cultural landscape characterized by arable farming flat Gypsum keuper (lower middle keuper), gravel and drift sand (quaternary) around the Schweinfurt agglomeration
136.V Schweinfurt Z
[M] 		40 Urban agglomeration remote from nature weak Unterkeuper, Gipskeuper (Unterer Mittelkeuper), gravel and drifting sand (Quaternary) northeastern districts in the Hesselbacher Waldland
137 Steigerwaldvorland
(without Mainaue) 		(SO 588 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land largely flat
(except in fault zones) 		Unterkeuper, Gipskeuper (Unterer Mittelkeuper), drifting sand (Quaternary) between the Main Triangle and Steigerwald
137.2 Mainaue between Schweinfurt and Bamberg O
[M-] 		70 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land flat bottom Gravel and floodplain sediments (Quaternary) Only the west is in the area of ​​the Mainfränkische Platten!
138 1 Grave field N
[r] 		901 Open cultivated landscape characterized by arable land moderate Muschelkalk, Unterkeuper, Gipskeuper (Unterer Mittelkeuper), loess between Rhön , Werra-Gäuplatten and Haßbergen
138 2 Werra-Gäuplatten N
[r] 		672 Wooded or wooded arable landscape rather strong Shell limestone northernmost unit, largely located in Thuringia - between the foreland of the Thuringian Forest and the northern Rhön
139 Hesselbach woodland ZN
[r] 		255 Wooded landscape strong Shell limestone between Schweinfurt and Grabfeld - Kissingen-Haßfurt saddle and fault zone

See also

literature

  • Johannes Müller: Basic features of the natural geography of Lower Franconia (= Franconian landscape 1) . Klett / Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1996, ISBN 978-3623005003

Web links

Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b E. Meynen and J. J. Schmithüsen : Handbook of the natural spatial structure of Germany Volume 2 - Federal Institute for Regional Studies, second delivery Remagen 1955, updated map 1: 1,000,000 with main units 1960
  2. ↑ Johannes Müller: Basic features of the natural geography of Lower Franconia (= Franconian landscape 1). Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1996. p. 56
  3. ↑ Bavarian Geological State Office (ed.): Geological map of Bavaria 1: 500,000. 4. rework. Ed., Munich 1996.
  4. ^ Josef Schwarzmeier: Geological map of Bavaria 1: 25,000 sheet No. 5927 Schweinfurt with explanations . Bavarian Geological State Office, Munich 1982.
  5. ^ Tectonic map of Bavaria 1: 1,000,000 (= Appendix 8 to: Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt (Hrsg.): Geological map of Bavaria 1: 500,000. 4th revised edition, Munich 1996.)
  6. ↑ Johannes Müller: Basic features of the natural geography of Lower Franconia (= Franconian landscape 1). Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1996. pp. 76f.
  7. ↑ Johannes Müller: Basic features of the natural geography of Lower Franconia (= Franconian landscape 1). Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1996. Map on p. 166f. and the corresponding chapter 8 "The Main Valley System" from p. 173
  8. ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
  9. ↑ a b Various authors: Geographical Land Survey: The natural space units in single sheets - Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Bad Godesberg 1962–1987 [2004] → online maps
    • Sheet 140: Schweinfurt (Brigitte Schwenzer 1968; 43 pages)
    • Sheet 141: Coburg (Heinz Späth 1987; 42 pages)
    • Sheet 152: Würzburg (Horst Mensching, Günter Wagner 1963; 45 pages)
    • [Sheet 153: Bamberg (Karl Albert Habbe 2004, in Mitteilungen der Fränkische Geographische Gesellschaft 2003/2004 , pp. 55-102; 48 pp.) - not yet completely included, only 131 and 137]
    • Sheet 162: Rotenburg od Tauber (Wolf Dieter Sick 1962; 58 p.) - only 131 and small parts of 130
  10. ↑ On sheet Rothenburg (1962) 130.1 is referred to as Uffenheimer Gäu ; however, only a small section (south of 130.10) of the landscape lies on this sheet - the majority lies on the sheet Würzburg (1963) which adjoins it to the north .
  11. ↑ Designation on sheet Rothenburg: Burgbernheimer Ebene ; Meanwhile, Burgbernheim, the only place in the natural space on that sheet, is located on the south-western edge of Windsheim Bay in the narrower sense .
  12. ^ Designation on sheet Würzburg (1963) called Wernein catchment area , on sheet Schweinfurt (1968), which includes the smaller northern part, referred to as Wernecker Gäuflächen .
  13. ↑ Landscape profiles ( Memento of the original from April 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of the BfN @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bfn.de
  14. ↑ location within the Mainfränkisches plates - Z entrum- W Estonia N properly O st- S OD
  15. ↑ [l] = left Main Main (south), [r] = right Main Main (north), [M] = Main valley
  16. ↑ to: Bavarian Geological State Office (Hrsg.), 1996: Geological map of Bavaria 1: 500 000. 4. neubearb. Ed., Munich.
  17. ↑ a b (plus adjacent places)
  18. ↑ North: Wern-Lauer Platte , East: Gäuplatten in the Main Triangle , South: Ochsenfurter Gau and Gollachgau , West: Marktheidenfelder Platte
  19. ^ Course along the Main Valley between the Schweinfurt Basin and the Bamberg agglomeration. The eastern part represents the north of the Steigerwald unit and the demarcation to the Haßberge within the Franconian Keuper-Kias-Land (11 = D59).
  20. ↑ The historical grave field corresponds to the core area of ​​the natural spatial main unit, which also includes the eastern foothills to Coburg and the southern foothills between Hesselbacher Waldland and Haßbergen, which extend to the Main line.