4 Die Küste, 74 ICCE (2008), 1-17 
Fig. 2: Salt structures in Northern Germany (Bundesanstalt f. Geowissenschaften u. Rohstoffe, 
2008, modified) 
2.2 Neogene 
At the beginning of the Neogene (23 million years BP), the climate was still moderate. 
However, it changed to lower temperatures, starting approx. 5.3 million years BP, when the 
formation of ice caps on both poles began. Deposits of this phase are either of marine, terre- 
stric/fluviatile or deltaic origin with partly incorporated brown coal seals. In the present 
coastal zone, sandstones of Miocene age are important aquifers while younger deposits, thick 
layers of Pliocene/early Pleistocene delta sands, are often used for coastal protection purpo 
ses such as beach nourishments. 
2.2.1 Pleistocene Development 
The subsequent Pleistocene epoch of the Neogene period (Table 1) is characterised by 
several climatic changes, related fluctuations of the sea level and resulting depositional con 
ditions. Especially the advances of inland ice masses from Scandinavia and the British/Scot 
tish highlands during the Elsterian as well as the Saalian glacial stage (Fig. 3) left striking, still 
distinguishable traces such as terminal moraines in parts of the North Sea basin (Streif, 2002; 
Zeiler et al., 2008). The depositional processes related to the Saalian glaciation also lead to 
the recent S-N orientated course of the river Weser (Streif, 1999), and to morphological high 
point (shallows) in the North Sea such as “Borkum Riffgmnd”, “Sylter Auflenriff” or “Horns 
Rev” (Denmark). During the interglacial stages of Holsteinian and Eemian, which followed