Intro Soil Geo 2.7 origin of NL Flashcards
where was the Netherlands in the carboniferous era?
under shallow seas, where sand and clay deposits occured. These deposits are now Limburg (South)/The netherlands was at the level of the equator.
How did peat and coal develop in the carboniferous era?
NL was in a tropical climate so coastal marshes and peat were formed.These swamp forests were submerged and covered with clay. The peat layers turned into coal.
when did pangaea start to drift apart?
just before the cretaceous
what was the climate during the cretaceous?
warm, the poles were ice free. The sea level rose and NL was once again submerged. The deposits from this period are found in South Limburg.
what happened during the tertiary?
Europe and America kept drifting further apart, and the north sea started to fill up.
how did the tertiary period end?
the milankovitch cycles forced the earth into another ice age. This is the transition from Pliocene to Pleistocene-Quarternary. The sea retreated and once again, everything was deposited in south Limburg.
What happened during the pleistocene?
The rhine, Meuse, and Vecht deposited lots of eroded material into a delta area which is now NL. Wind was very significant in the formation of the NL. The ice sheets forced the rivers to flow East to West. The metling of the glaciers deposited a ton of sediment as well.
What was it like in the Weichselian in the NL?
climate was cold, dru, and windy. NL was a country of permafrost.
What happened in the Pleistocene?
Uplift from the Alps influenced South Limburg as well. In combination with subsiding north sea, the Meuse alternated between aggradation and incision. The terraces and valleys were covered by loess, these are gently rolling hills.
when did the holocene start?
10’000 years ago
what happened to the climate in the holocene?
global rise in average temperature, forests grow and sea level rises. The sedimentary environemtns shifted with the transgression.
what happened to NL geology in the holocene?
in low lying areas, groundwater rose and lowland peat bogs were formed. Moorlands were formed in poorly drained highland. Rivers changed from braided to meandering.
which parts of our geology do we currently use?
peat and clay from holocene have been used as bricks and fuel.
carboniferous coal was mined in limburg
limestone in limburg is used as a fertilizer.
