EurGeol Dr. rer. nat. Lutz Krakow

Current clay potential in Germany | Part 9: Raw materials from the Quaternary system

The Quaternary ice age is subdivided by cyclic climatic fluctuations reflected in long glacial periods and shorter interglacial periods. The climate has significantly controlled sedimentation, the sediments occurring in a genetically determined sequence. For North German brick producers, glacilimnic basin clays present an important basic raw material. Southern German brickworks process periglacial loess clays to a notable extent.

1 The Earth System

The Earth is a highly complex system with constant endogenous and exogenous dynamics. Even if we do not notice it, the lithosphere plates are shifting several centimetres per year. But that is enough for new belts of mountains and oceans to be formed or disappear again in geological periods.

Each year, around 16 bill. tonnes particulate sediment materials are carried by rivers into the sea (»1). In addition come around 4 bill. tonnes substances dissolved and conveyed in the river water. Around 1.8 bill. tonnes dust from the desert areas are carried by wind to the oceans each...

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1 Global geology and tectonics Following the Jurassic, the Cretaceous represents the third and youngest system in the Mesozoic. The Cretaceous began around 145 mill. years ago and ended around...

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Issue 2/2017 EurGeol Dr. rer. nat. Lutz Krakow and Dipl.-Geol. Franziska Schunke

Current clay potential in Germany | Part 5: Raw materials from the Keuper group/Trias system

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Issue 2/2016 EurGeol Dr. rer. nat. Lutz Krakow and Dipl.-Geol. Franziska Schunke

Current clay potential in Germany – Part 1: General introduction

1 Current status in research The clay potential in Germany is largely recorded in geological maps, although these do not generally contain details of the specific suitability of the clay raw...

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