Structural basin

A basin in terms of the geology indicates a greater sedimentation in which the rock layers were mostly deposited as sediment bowl-shaped or.

Such basins are usually reduction areas, caused by regional or large-scale tectonics, whose tensile forces weakens the earth's crust or diluted. The reduction takes usually from the edge - where usually run geological faults - the ball to and can make a few mm / year. With simultaneous filling with sediment, the altitude remains largely constant.

Various causes of basin formation

Also a lowered geological soil is referred to as pool or burglary pool. Another cause of basin formation may be a filled- sink that is created during a mountain fold. A drop can be caused by compaction of the subsoil ( compaction of deposited layers of rock ).

In the foothills of mountain ranges, many basins are created by the erosion of glaciers, which remedies a sink. The great glaciers of the Ice Age have left in this way in the foothills countless tongue basins, which were often filled by lakes. Such post-glacial lake basins or other water-filled depressions are filled over time with sediment. Last often remains only a bog or marsh area that is no longer on the surface identified by lay persons as glacial or subsidence area.

Also the impact crater of a large meteorite can be counted among the basin shapes - in Germany in particular, the Ries and the Steinheim Basin.

Examples of great geological basin in Europe

• North Sea Basin, Central Plateau, the Molasse Basin
• Germanic Basin, Lower Rhine Valley, Upper Rhine Graben, Mainz Basin, Thuringian basin, basin Doehlen
• Fohnsdorf Basin, Klagenfurt Basin, Graz Basin, Vienna Basin
• Hungarian Plain, Eger Basin
• Paris Basin ( loess ), Lodève Basin,