North-Western Europe: Tectonics and basin development

Abstract

This paper discusses the geologic evolution of North-Western Europe from Late Silurian to Cainozoic times on the base of 13 palaeogeographic and 6 palaeotectonic maps. Furthermore a pre-Permian and a pre-Tertiary subcrop map as well as an isopach map of Upper Permian to Cainozoic sediments is presented. This synthesis is based to a large extent on geophysical and subsurface data acquired by the oil industry during its exploration efforts in the various on-shore and offshore sedimentary basins of North-Western Europe. A more comprehensive summary is given at the end of the paper.