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| System | Series | Stage | Age (Ma) | Europeanlithostratigraphy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurassic | Lower | Hettangian | younger | Lias |
| Triassic | Upper | Rhaetian | 201.4–208.5 | |
| Keuper | ||||
| Norian | 208.5–227.0 | |||
| Carnian | 227.0–237.0 | |||
| Middle | Ladinian | 237.0–242.0 | ||
| Muschelkalk | ||||
| Anisian | 242.0–247.2 | |||
| Bunter orBuntsandstein | ||||
| Lower | Olenekian | 247.2–251.2 | ||
| Induan | 251.2–251.9 | |||
| Permian | Lopingian | Changhsingian | older | |
| Zechstein | ||||
| Major lithostratigraphic units of northwest Europe with theICS's geologic timescale of the Triassic.[1] | ||||
TheGermanic Trias Supergroup (German:Germanische Trias-Supergruppe) is alithostratigraphic unit (a sequence ofrock strata) in the subsurface of large parts of western and centralEurope (north of theAlps) and theNorth Sea. Almost all of the Germanic Trias was deposited during theTriassicperiod and consists of three clearly different units:Buntsandstein,Muschelkalk andKeuper, that gave the period its name (Triassic means "threefold"). In the past the names of these three units were also used as units in thegeologic timescale, but in modern literature they only have a lithostratigraphic meaning.
The Germanic Trias formed in the largeGermanic Basin, abasin that covered much of midwestern Europe (including the south of the North Sea andBaltic Sea) during the Triassic. The Muschelkalk has a predominantlymarinefacies whereas the Buntsandstein and Keuper are mostlycontinental.
In the central parts of the Germanic Basin, the Germanic Trias has an average thickness of 800 meters, but regional differences are considerable. In the north of Germany the thickness of the Buntsandstein alone can exceed 1400 meters. The Germanic Trias lies on top of thePermianZechstein Group and belowLower Jurassic units, such as theLias Group orAltena Group.
The base is not defined in the same way everywhere. In northern Germany the base is formed by theCalvörde Beds, in theSpessart andOdenwald by the base of theHeigenbrücken-Sandstone.Radiometric dating has shown the age of the Germanic Trias is not totally corresponding with the Triassic period. The base of the Buntsandstein was formed during theChanghsingian, the uppermoststage of the Permian, about252 million years ago. The top of the Keuper isRhaetian in age and at about200.5 million years ago at least a few million years older than the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Usually there is astratigraphic hiatus between the base of the Lias and top of the Germanic Trias.
In German lithostratigraphy, Buntsandstein, Muschelkalk and Keuper are seen asgroups.Dutch lithostratigraphy divides the Germanic Trias along other boundaries in aLower Germanic Trias Group and anUpper Germanic Trias Group. The Dutch Keuper and Muschelkalk have the status offormations while the Dutch Buntsandstein is subdivided in a number of formations. TheBunter of British stratigraphy is similar in age,lithology and facies to the Buntsandstein.
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