Quaternary geology
The Quaternary is the branch of geology that deals with the processes and deposits of the Quaternary . In this most recent geological age, the last four ice ages shaped a large part of today's landscape forms in the northern hemisphere - for example in the form of moraines , valley forms ( trough valley ), deposits in sedimentary basins , etc.
Relationships also exist with hydrogeology , building geology , soil science and climate research .
Establishment as a subject
Quaternary geology is still relatively young as a separate sub-area. Scientists have been working intensively on the ice ages since the 19th century. But their great influence on the design of the earth's surface did not become apparent until around 1930, although they only affect the last 2 million years of earth's history.
During this period, huge inland glaciers formed in large areas of the northern hemisphere and disappeared again several times. The large climatic differences in the Quaternary resulted in annual average fluctuations of up to 15 ° C with drastic consequences for the distribution of precipitation , the ice masses and in the wake of sedimentation .
Research topics
The investigation of these influences is based - in contrast to general geology - very much on the phenomena of different landscape forms , soil formation (e.g. loess ) and rock formations near the surface than on the analysis of deeper areas of the earth's crust. In Europe, in addition to the solidified sediments of alpine basins and the molasse foreland, great attention must also be paid to debris deposits and the formation of numerous lakes and the sedimentation of rivers and the shifting of their course.
In addition, detailed maps of the glacial ice cover are of great importance for the mountain regions and their foothills , such as those made by Heinrich Jäckli and Dirk van Husen for Switzerland and Austria from the 1970s. In addition to pure research purposes, they are also used for stability studies for large structures such as storage power plants or tunnels .
literature
- Albert Schreiner : Introduction to Quaternary Geology . Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1977
- Jürgen Ehlers : General and historical Quaternary geology. Enke-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994
- German Quaternary Association V .: Ice Age and Present / Quaternary Science Journal , Volumes 29–65, Hanover 1979–2015