From glacial erosion to basin overfill: a 240 m-thick overdeepening–fill sequence in Bern, Switzerland
Michael A. Schwenk
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Patrick Schläfli
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Dimitri Bandou
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Natacha Gribenski
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Guilhem A. Douillet
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Fritz Schlunegger
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Renas I. Koshnaw, Fritz Schlunegger, and Daniel F. Stockli
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Owen A. Anfinson, Daniel F. Stockli, Joseph C. Miller, Andreas Möller, and Fritz Schlunegger
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Samuel Mock, Christoph von Hagke, Fritz Schlunegger, István Dunkl, and Marco Herwegh
Solid Earth, 11, 1823–1847, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1823-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1823-2020, 2020
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Based on thermochronological data, we infer thrusting along-strike the northern rim of the Central Alps between 12–4 Ma. While the lithology influences the pattern of thrusting at the local scale, we observe that thrusting in the foreland is a long-wavelength feature occurring between Lake Geneva and Salzburg. This coincides with the geometry and dynamics of the attached lithospheric slab at depth. Thus, thrusting in the foreland is at least partly linked to changes in slab dynamics.
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Short summary
A scientific drilling was conducted into a bedrock trough (overdeepening) in Bern-Bümpliz (Switzerland) in an effort to advance the knowledge of the Quaternary prior to 150 000 years ago. We encountered a 208.5 m-thick succession of loose sediments (gravel, sand and mud) in the retrieved core and identified two major sedimentary sequences (A: lower, B: upper). The sedimentary suite records two glacial advances and the subsequent filling of a lake sometime between 300 000 and 200 000 years ago.
A scientific drilling was conducted into a bedrock trough (overdeepening) in Bern-Bümpliz...