Chapter 7 - Paleogeographic Evolution of Latest Permian and Triassic Salt Basins in Northwest Europe

Abstract

The latest Permian and Triassic salt basins resulted from widespread aridity and progressive rifting across equatorial Pangea. Rift propagation into the continental interior provided conduits for marine brines, and polyphase rifting along multiple extension vectors created a complex network of partially connected, subsea-level receiving basins. The Late Permian to Middle Triassic was arid, albeit interrupted by pluvial episodes, and developed widespread halite bodies at discrete stratigraphic levels. However, ongoing climatic amelioration through the Late Triassic and increased fluvial sediment yields resulted in basin floors closer to, or above, sea level and large halite bodies were restricted to the deeper rift axes during the increasingly less frequent arid episodes. By the Norian a stable, semiarid climate precluded significant halite development across northwest Europe and salt basin development had shifted to the south of the region as a result of ongoing northward drift of Pangea.