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Palaeoseismic structures in Quaternary sediments of Hamburg (NW Germany), earthquake evidence during the younger Weichselian and Holocene

International Journal of Earth Sciences volume 108, pages 845–861 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Investigations at a construction site in Hamburg (NW Germany) exposed palaeoseismic structures from moderate to strong earthquakes. Based on the large size of large blowout clastic dykes being up to 2.0 m wide and 2.5 m high, as well as the occurrence of infill structures, erratics/rafts of up to 9 kg in weight, seismites s.s. and decimetre-scale folds or seismoslumps, the magnitude of the earthquakes could be in the order of up to M ≥ 6. This is significantly higher than previously assumed for prehistorical seismic events in NW Germany. The structures are assigned to earthquakes possibly related to NW–SE-oriented faults that are evident in Lidar and SAR surface interpretations. Organic material from blowout-related infill bowls, assumed to be synchronously formed collapse depressions, are analysed for 14C ages. The dates reveal ages between 31,500 and 1200 14C cal a BP, indicating five prehistoric earthquakes. Accordingly, three of these earthquakes occurred before and after the main Weichselian glaciation phase (ca. 31,350, 26,850 and 18,980 14C cal a BP), and two occurred during the Subatlantic (ca. 4900 and 1200 14C cal a BP). The Weichselian events indicate seismic activity in the ice marginal zone during or following interstadials/Dansgaard–Oeschger events, as well as suggesting that advancing ice sheets foster earthquakes.

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the “Wohnungsgenossenschaft von 1904 e. G.” for giving me the possibility to investigate the site in detail and publish results. Dipl-Ing. D. Schuldt (Co. K. Petersen, Ahrensburg) supported the work on site. I thank G. Hartmann (BGR, Hannover) for providing information from the BGR earthquake data register (Table 1), Dr. Chr. Weidle (Geophysical Inst., Kiel University) for discussing possible magnitudes, and M. Kalia (BGR, Hannover) for providing radar interferometry data. Beta Analytics LTD (London, UK; Miami, USA) carried out the 14C dating. Dr. Björn-Henning Rickert (Kiel University) conducted a pollen analysis. Detlev Dold (Geological Survey Hamburg) analysed grain size. Peter Sandersen and Erik Skovbjerg Rasmussen (GEUS, Copenhagen) helped with the literature. Klaus Reicherter (RWTH Aachen University) and Gosia Pisarska-Jamroży (University Poznań) are thanked for giving critical reviews. Teresa Gehrs (Georgsmarienhütte) proofread the paper.

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    Alf Grube

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Grube, A. Palaeoseismic structures in Quaternary sediments of Hamburg (NW Germany), earthquake evidence during the younger Weichselian and Holocene. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 108, 845–861 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-019-01681-2

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Keywords

  • Neotectonics
  • Seismites
  • Liquefaction
  • Blowout clastic dyke
  • Soft-sediment deformation structures