Münsterländer gravel sand train
The Münsterländer gravel-sand train is a partially wall-like ridge from Saale Ice Age deposits in the Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia . It is also called " Hauptkiessandzug " as " gravel gutter " or " Münsterländer gravel sand ridge called".
Location and course
The Münsterländer gravel-sand train stretches over 80 km from southwest Lower Saxony east of Bad Bentheim via the city of Münster to the northern edge of the Beckum Mountains in southeastern directions.
Course in the Sandmünsterland
The course in the sandy north of the Münsterland is extremely unspectacular. Above ground, the gravel sand train is divided into various ridges and ridges, each of which only protrudes 10–20 m above the surrounding area.
In the north of Westmünsterland , the gravel drift begins southwest of Schüttorf in Lower Saxony ( Grafschaft Bentheim district ) in the Samerott hill , which is 53 m above sea level. NN the south-west adjoining valley of the Vechte dominated by just 20 m. From there, the ridge line continues near the eastern border of the district of Emsland in a south-southeast direction to reach the Steinfurt district , including North Rhine-Westphalia , and to the south of Wettringen - Haddorf , am Brakken ( 60.6 m above sea level ) the western East direction to cross Thieberg in Neuenkirchen . Immediately to the west of the Bracken runs the Vechte tributary Steinfurter Aa .
In the Neuenkirchen district, the Kiessandzug, passing the town itself to the west, continues along the former Max-Clemens Canal , reaching the Emsdetten district and finally, shortly before the district of Ahlintel , the Ostmünsterland . The further course towards the south-southeast near the local border from Nordwalde in the west to Greven in the east finally leads to the district of the independent city of Münster and the district of Sprakel .
Uppenberger Geestrücken
The Uppenberger Geestrücken , named after the Münster district of Uppenberg , represents the actual central ridge of the Münsterländer gravel sand train. It begins in the north at the scattered settlement Sandrup with the entry of the gravel sand train into the Kernmünsterland and extends over the core city of Münsters to southeast Sendenhorst , where it goes through Münstersche Aa , Dortmund-Ems-Kanal / Emmerbach and Werse is separated into four Riedel.
Natural allocation
The Uppenberger Geestrücken is naturally allocated as follows:
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(to 54 Westphalian Bay )
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(to 541 Kernmünsterland )
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(to 541.1 Münster plain )
- 541.13 Uppenberger Geestrücken
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(to 541.1 Münster plain )
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(to 541 Kernmünsterland )
course
Starting from the scattered settlement of Sandrup in the north, the ridge initially stretches south to directly through the Münster city center, where the Münstersche Aa breaks through the ridge in a north-easterly direction directly at Lake Aasee . To the south of the Hiltrup district , the Dortmund-Ems Canal , which further north flanks the ridge to the east, crosses it at the same time as the Emmerbach .
Between Hiltrup and Sendenhorst - Albersloh ( Warendorf district ) the ridge, which now runs south-east, reaches a height of 69 m until it is finally penetrated by the Werse in a south-north direction. Over the Sendenhorster core town it finally runs out just over the Hardt settlement at a 69.8 m high pond.
Between the south of Münster and Albersloh, the Uppenberger Geestrücken forms a wall-like north-east boundary of the Davert forest lowlands .
South-east course
In absolute terms, the southeasternmost part of the gravel sand range is the highest, but not very closed and hardly dominating the surrounding area. Crossing several stream valleys, the ridge goes south-south-east, and south of Ennigerloh - Ennigers turns even further east. At the core town of Ennigerloh, 100 m are exceeded until finally in the north of the significantly higher Beckum Mountains the track of the Münsterland gravel sand drift is blurred.
construction
The Wall is back to more than 1 km wide and is located almost entirely on an in chalk layers or marl recessed groove . The deposits reach a thickness of 20 to over 40 m and consist of coarse debris , rubble and gravel , in some cases medium and fine sands are also embedded. The channel is up to 30 m deep and has a slight slope to the north. In the middle of the channel there are coarse gravel and pebbles. The grain decreases towards the edges. Overall, the coarser material is to be found in the north of the gravel sand section and more fine sand at the southeast end. From this it can be assumed that meltwater flowing southwards was responsible for the deposits. Rocks from Scandinavia , the Baltic Sea and Northern Germany can be found in the gravel-sand drift , including lead debris such as Rapakiwigranite from the Finnish Åland Islands . Numerous fossils such as mammoth tusks , petrified wood , shark teeth , ammonites and amber have also been found here.
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Hypotheses on the origin
There have been various attempts to interpret the origins of the gravel and sand draft, which have been discussed for more than 100 years. A comprehensive explanation has not yet been found.
It is undisputed that the deposits are 200,000 to 250,000 years old and mainly originate from the Saale Ice Age. The channel in which the gravel and sand lie can also be partly older. It may have been washed out in the Elster Ice Age 450,000 years ago.
Terminal moraine?
Up until the beginning of the 20th century, the conspicuous gravel sand drift was interpreted as a terminal moraine that was pushed up at the edge of the glacier .
- The channel and the uncompressed deposits could not be explained in this way.
Os?
It was later assumed that the gravel-sand train was formed as the Os . An Os is created by water flowing under the glacier, which creates a channel in which gravel and sand are deposited.
- Oser, however, are usually only up to 150 m wide, steep-walled and much shorter.
Came?
An interpretation as Kame is also contemplated. Melt water flows off between blocks of dead ice and washes debris in channels that have been traced through to the surface of the ice. As the ice thaws, the alluvial debris and sand sink into the channel and raise it to a broad, flat ridge.
- Problems here are that in the Neuenkirchen area there is no evidence of an older channel, and that at Sendenhorst / Albersloh the deposits are a few hundred meters away from the channel.
Glacier advance between dead ice blocks?
The latest hypothesis is based on different guiding debris that are found to the west and east of the Münsterländer gravel sand drift. From this it is concluded that a block of dead ice formed in the east and that the glacier advanced further south in the west. Between the glacier and dead ice, meltwater flowed southwards at high speed and washed away the gully, which later filled with the gravel from the ice and was thus elevated. According to this hypothesis, the glacier was bounded further to the west by a dead ice field, and that is where the Twente-Achterhoek Gully was formed .
Original appearance
The sandy, barren soil and deep-lying groundwater allowed only sparse and undemanding vegetation on the wide ridge that towers above its surroundings by up to 10 m . Gorse , heather , juniper bushes and grasses offered the image of a Öd- and heathland that was not useful for agricultural use. In some areas there were also shifting dunes that prevented the growth of vegetation. By shifting sands deposits , the surface over long distances was Kuppig . The Wallberg ridge was covered by many trails that followed the structure of the terrain.
use
Early days
Initially, the use of these dry areas probably began as a settlement or storage area, as Stone Age finds show. Large grave fields were also created later, as evidenced by numerous urn finds in Neuenkirchen am Haarweg. In the Middle Ages, heather plagues were stung and used as litter. By planting pines it was also possible to obtain construction wood and firewood and to define the shifting dunes.
Sand and gravel mining
For their own use, the residents of the surrounding farms got the white house sand to use as scouring sand in their apartments. In the 19th century was dug even after construction sand and gravel. This resulted in numerous smaller and larger sand pits in which groundwater could be found every now and then. In the 20th century , this use expanded considerably. Many building contractors operated their own gravel pit and extracted the material with carts . At Kipprampen were carts loaded. Through the use of so-called scrapers that schrappten the gravel with chain hoists to shore, the first created lakes . After the Second World War , large companies took over the sand and gravel extraction. The material was extracted with floating and suction dredgers and transported on conveyor belts . Numerous, rapidly growing quarry ponds were the result. Today these lakes are lined up like a string of pearls and are often only separated by narrow land bridges .
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Drinking water production
Towards the end of the 19th century, the good quality and the plentiful availability of the groundwater in the gravel sand drift was discovered. As early as 1888, Stadtwerke Münster built its first waterworks above the gravel sand train. Numerous waterworks followed and today they are, just like the quarry ponds, in a row on the gravel sand train. The sand is an excellent filter and the gravel allows the water to flow almost unhindered to the extraction wells. This situation leads to competing uses for sand and gravel mining. In order to enable drinking water to be obtained in the future, further sand mining has been severely restricted in recent years. So north of the Offlumer See in Neuenkirchen only shallow sanding (above the groundwater level) was permitted. The deep desanding (below the water table) has been almost completely prohibited.
Large parts of the gravel sand stretch are water protection areas today . As a result of the extensive water pumping, the groundwater level has largely been lowered by several meters. For example, the natural water level in Offlumer See would be almost 50 m above sea level instead of 46 m above sea level. Groundwater recharge is used to stabilize the groundwater supply. For this purpose, surface water is taken from flowing bodies of water ( Ems , Steinfurter Aa , Frischhofsbach ) or canals ( Dortmund-Ems Canal ) and discharged into infiltration basins on the gravel drift.
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freetime and recreation
For some years now, the recreational value of this landscape has also been gaining in importance. The many fish-rich lakes with good water quality are used by anglers and divers . Hiking trails on the lakes, on the heathland and in the pine forests promise pleasant relaxation. There are campsites and swimming areas in selected places and they are attractions for vacationers. In Neuenkirchen / Offlum and Wettringen / Haddorf, the “Jump over the gravel bank” project was implemented as part of the 2004 Regionale . It opens up the Offlumer See and the Haddorfer Lakes for gentle tourism .
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natural reserve
Some of the quarry ponds and their surroundings on the gravel sand drift have been placed under nature protection in whole or in part. The 25 hectare nature reserve "Grafensteiner See" has existed since 1991 . In addition to rare plants, various animal species can be found here. The curlew , the little ringed plover , the oystercatcher , the cormorant , the Canada goose and the rare osprey have already been observed. But grass snakes and sand lizards can also be found here more often. The Hohe Ward south of Münster-Hiltrup is u. a. known for their large occurrence of the field cricket and the spotted mace .
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Bank breaks
At some quarry ponds, banks have collapsed in the past . At the Westeroder See, the sand extraction had to be stopped after a large bank demolition. The bank embankments on the southern Grafensteiner See are partially secured with fascines , but there were dangerous bank breaks and the sand mining was stopped. By planting willows , attempts are made to prevent further demolitions.
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Bigger lakes
In addition to many small and nameless lakes, there are also some larger and well-known lakes on the Münsterländer Kiessandzug:
(from south to north)
- Hardt Ponds, east of Sendenhorst 51 ° 50 ′ 8 ″ N , 7 ° 51 ′ 32 ″ E
- Hiltruper See (also called Steiner See): 51 ° 53 ′ 14 ″ N , 7 ° 39 ′ 30 ″ E
- Westeroder See in Greven : 52 ° 4 ′ 54 ″ N , 7 ° 33 ′ 45 ″ E
- Reutersee in Nordwalde : 52 ° 7 ′ 19 ″ N , 7 ° 31 ′ 5 ″ E
- Grafensteiner See in Burgsteinfurt : 52 ° 10 ′ 38 ″ N , 7 ° 25 ′ 25 ″ E
- Fishing lake in St. Arnold : 52 ° 12 ′ 49 ″ N , 7 ° 23 ′ 42 ″ E
- Offlumer See in Neuenkirchen : 52 ° 14 ′ 12 ″ N , 7 ° 20 ′ 43 ″ E
- Haddorfer Seen in Wettringen : 52 ° 16 ′ 35 ″ N , 7 ° 19 ′ 1 ″ E
- Steider See in Salzbergen : 52 ° 17 ′ 14 ″ N , 7 ° 19 ′ 5 ″ E
swell
- Records of the quartz works Dr. Müller GmbH
- Data from Stadtwerke Rheine GmbH
- Data from Stadtwerke Ochtrup
literature
- Neuenkirchen 750 years (August 1997)
- Cooperation Agriculture Water Management (Working report on the cooperation in the Steinfurt district November, 1998)
- Drinking water for Rheine (publisher: Stadtwerke Rheine GmbH)
- 90 years of water supply in Ochtrup (publisher: Stadtwerke Ochtrup, June 1993)
- Cycling guide Neuenkirchen; “Experiencing Stories”, May 2005
- "Ice Age sedimentary debris fossils from the Münsterländer gravel sand drift", Geological-Palaeontological Museum of the University of Münster, 1986
Web links
- Münsterländer gravel sand train
- Main gravel sand train from Dr Olaf Otto Dillmann in Münsterland
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Natural area maps from the single sheets 1: 200,000 of the Federal Institute for Regional Studies - the gravel-sand train can be found with the Uppenberger Geestrücken (541.13) directly drawn in
- Sheet 83/84 - Osnabrück / Bentheim (middle of the sheet)
- Sheet 97 - Münster (west)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
- ↑ a b c Geographical land survey: The natural spatial units on sheet 83/84 - Osnabrück / Bentheim (Sofie Meisel 1961; middle of the sheet) and sheet 97 - Münster (Sofie Meisel 1960; west of the sheet) - Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Bad Godesberg → cards
- ↑ (drawn in the Münster sheet )
- ↑ Stadtmuseum Münster (ed.): Energy & Movement. 100 years of Stadtwerke Münster. Münster 2001. page 17
- ↑ www.heimatverein-sendenhorst.de "About the Hardt ponds and their origins"