The lithostratigraphic formations of the coastal Holocene in NE Germany – a synthesis

Abstract. Based on extensive investigations along the coast and in the coastal waters of NE Germany, a lithostratigraphic classification of the
Holocene coastal deposits is presented. Their characteristics, i.e. the
lithofacies, reflect the spatial change in hydrodynamics, sediment supply,
salinity, bioproduction, etc. in the accumulation space. The displacement of
the facies associated with the sea-level rise of the Baltic Sea led to the
formation of regularly occurring vertical depositional sequences. From these
regular profiles, four lithostratigraphic formations and two subformations
of the coastal deposits can be delineated as approximately homogeneous
sedimentary bodies, which are described in detail, defined in terms of their
spatial extent and classified with regard to the time of accumulation.
