Lithostratigraphy and depositional history of the Danish Triassic

Abstract

The Triassic deposits of the Danish territory are mapped, described and characterized by means of wire line log motifs. Three facies provinces are recognized: A southern and central Germano-type Facies Province, a Northern Marginal Facies Province fringing the basin center, and a Central Graben Facies Province with affinities to the Southern North Sea Basin. The traditional German lithostratigraphic nomenclature previously used in the Germano-type Facies Province is proposed replaced by a system composed of four groups each of two formations corresponding to four Triassic megaphases of sedimentation: Bacton Group including Bunter Shale Formation and Bunter Sandstone Formation, Lolland Group (new) including Ørslev Formation (new) and Falster Formation (new), Jylland Group (new) including Tønder Formation (new) and Oddesund Formation (new), and Mars Group (new) including Vinding Formation and Gassum Formation. In the other facies provinces the nomenclature previously proposed for the Central and Southern North Sea is adopted. A summary of the basin evolution is given for each formation description.