Investigating the change in depositional characteristics during the Late Cenozoic in the south eastern North Sea
During the Quaternary, several glacial advances covered and deformed the sediments in the North Sea basin. Today, the Quaternary deposits represent a complex stratigraphic challenge, but at the same time provide the foundation for offshore wind farms.
The main objectives of my project are to investigate the change in depositional characteristics and to produce a stratigraphic model of the Quaternary deposits that is applicable and representative of the south-eastern North Sea. Using a combination of high resolution 2D multichannel seismic data, cone penetration test measurements and sediment cores, I aim to reconstruct the depositional processes and environments within the south-eastern North Sea basin during glacial and interglacial periods.
Previous studies have provided a first approach to the geological and stratigraphic setting of the North Sea. However, due to the complex depositional setting, a proper understanding of the depositional processes and structures remains. The results of this project will improve palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and clarify the geomorphology of the south-eastern North Sea. It will help to predict buried structures and geological characteristics to facilitate the construction of offshore wind farms.
