Although almost a century old, the pioneering subdivision of the Central European basement by Franz Kossmat (1927) is still the most widely used zonation to describe the principal architecture of the currently exposed Pre-Mesozoic crust. By correlating lithological, paleontological, metamorphic, and deformation features, Kossmat distinguished four major zones, namely the Rheno-Hercynian, Moravo-Silesian, Saxo-Thuringian, and Moldanubian zones. Over the years, his subdivision was modified and extended to the entire Variscan orogen. With the acceptance of the plate tectonic theory half a century later, the zonation was reinterpreted to reflect a pre-Variscan paleogeography. Consequently, terranes or microplates were initially separated by oceanic lithosphere, implying that zone boundaries represent sutures.

Numerous modern data challenge such a direct correlation of Kossmat’s classical zones with pre-orogenic characteristics. The pre-orogenic detrital record reveals three major sediment provenances, namely Laurussia, West Peri-Gondwana, and East Peri-Gondwana. The resulting provenance patterns do not correlate well with the zonation. For example, the Moldanubian Zone of the Bohemian Massif has been correlated with the French Massif Central and the Central Iberian Zone where it comprises a mixture of Laurussian and Peri-Gondwanan, West and East Peri-Gondwanan, and East Peri-Gondwanan sediments, respectively. We show how the pre-orogenic constellation was blurred by polyphase Variscan tectono-metamorphic overprinting associated with high-grade metamorphism and exhumation-related nappe stacking, followed by late orogenic equilibration and multiple post-orogenic tectonic events, in particular Late Carboniferous-Permian extension. Furthermore, the integration of new observations leads to correlations across zonation boundaries, allowing us to better understand the magmatic and metamorphic evolution, and mineral deposits.

The Eastern Erzgebirge area boasts numerous significant Li-mica deposits associated with granite formations, such as the Zinnwald-Cinovec deposit. Over 90% of the documented Li-mica occurrences in the Erzgebirge are linked to late-stage intrusions (˜313-310 Ma) within the Altenberg-Teplice caldera system. This study investigates the influence of trans-tensional tectonics and the corresponding crustal-scale faults on the placement and spatial arrangement of small stock-like granitic intrusions within this caldera system. Examining fault patterns in the broader Altenberg-Teplice and Tharandt calderas, and the contemporaneous western Bohemian Carboniferous (Middle Pennsylvanian) basins, we identify a large-scale composite pull-apart structure. We propose a simple tectonic model involving various dilatant and transfer structures of secondary and tertiary orders, linking the primary Elbe Shear Zone in the northeast to the Pfahl or Danube shear zones in the southwest, to enable the formation of the largest Carboniferous pull-apart system in Bohemian Massif. Our model offers insight into the complex tectonic framework dictating the distribution and concentration of Li-rich peraluminous granites and associated Li-Sn greisen systems in the Erzgebirge region.

In the southwestern, proximal Central European Basin system continental redbed deposition prevailed throughout Late Permian to Early Triassic time. The study aims at unravelling sediment provenance and drainage evolution based on heavy mineral (HM) data from 97 samples from the Black Forest, Palatinate Forest and the Vosges, covering ~10−12 Myrs from Zechstein to Upper Bundsandstein strata (Wuchiapingian to early Anisian). Further data include U-Pb ages and grain-size measurements of ~3000 zircons from 40 selected samples.

The HM spectra are rather uniform, dominated by the stable phases zircon, tourmaline and rutile (along with other TiO₂-phases) and complemented by variable apatite content as well as minor monazite. Zircon U-Pb ages range from ~0.25 to 3.5 Ga, showing prominent Variscan (30%), Caledonian (23%), Cadomian (28%) age components, and also older ages (19%). Grain-size data indicate overall decrease of zircon size with increasing zircon U-Pb age. The zircon age distributions suggest an increase of Cadomian and older ages at the expense of Variscan ages with decreasing stratigraphic age of the samples. This observation is independent of zircon grain size. It is interpreted to reflect a change from more local sources in Late Permian time to a significantly enlarged catchment area including tapping new sources. This comes along with a homogenization of sediment composition across the entire drainage and deposition area in the late Olenekian to early Anisian. The study serves as an example of HM-based fingerprints for regional-scale drainage basin widening due to relief planation in the aftermath of major orogenic phases.

Open fractures in tight rocks are most likely the preferred fluid pathway in the subsurface and are therefore of interest in e.g., geothermal energy production, and gas and oil production. Natural fractures in Middle and Upper Triassic carbonate rocks of the Kraichgau area in Southern Germany are studied in a quarry on the eastern Upper Rhine Graben shoulder and show at minimum three main striking direction. Preliminary results on petrophysical measurements on plug samples show low porosity and permeability values (max. 10.9% and max. 0.0118 mD). Additionally, the diagenetic influence on petrophysical properties is analyzed. Diagenetic processes cause cementation and dissolution of minerals and influence petrophysical properties. Fracture analysis in combination with rock classification and the interpretation of the diagenetic history and the influence on petrophysical properties provide a better understanding on reservoir properties and thus limit exploration risks. Furthermore, the study location shows compressional deformation in form of decameter-sized kink bands, and veins composed of different generations of carbonate cements.

Salt structures are structurally and genetically highly complex structures in sedimentary basins with a stratigraphic pile comprising thick salt layers. Such structures are of increasing scientific and economic interest in times of energy transition and subsurface storage. In the southern part of the Central European Basin several salt structures formed due to halokinetic and halotectonic processes from Triassic to Cenozoic times and rearranged the originally flatlying evaporites of the Zechstein-Formation. In Saxony-Anhalt (Central Germany) three domains of the former Central European Basin with different kinds of salt structures exist: (1) The Altmark dominantly favoured salt-pillow and diapir formation. (2) The Subhercynian Basin comprises elongated salt anticlines and (3) the South-Eastern Harzforeland dominantly shows stratiform and mildly upward-rising salt. Most of these structures are distributed along faults suggesting the influence of tectonics on all kinds of halokinetic structures.

To investigate the complex genesis and influencing parameters, we performed a data- and evidence-based compilation for salt structures of Saxony-Anhalt. Therefore, we evaluated existing data of salt structures from exploration phases, 3D-models and geophysical data. The resulting geoinformation system compiles information on the geology, geometry, exploration data, tectonics and timings of diapirs, pillows and anticline structures, which allow us to re-interpret their evolution.

Preliminary results indicate that the majority of the studied diapirs are elliptical with an overhanging top. Regarding the time of salt pillow and diapir formation a clear spatial correlation from southwest to northeast can be interpreted in the Altmark region coinciding with the main tectonic phases in Central Germany.