North German basin

[2][3] The complex evolution of the basin takes place from the Permian to the Cenozoic, and is largely influenced by multiple stages of rifting, subsidence, and salt tectonic events.

[citation needed] These crustal accretion events produced the present day regional lithosphere, and by the time of the post-orogenic collapse of the Variscan Orogeny the supercontinent Pangea had completely formed.

[8][9][10] The initiation formed by crustal rifting and wrenching in addition to huge amounts of volcanism(>40,000 km3 ) and magmatism, can only be approximately dated due to the extensive (>250 Ma) poly-phased subsidence of the region.

[11] Another important influence of this subsidence is due to the thermal relaxation of the lithospheric magmatic inflation, thus allowing the basin to deepen with the accumulation of the sediment.

[citation needed] During the Triassic-Early Jurassic, 252 to 200 Ma, there was a phase of new north to south rifting events due to the break up of the super-continent Pangea caused W-E extension across the Northern German Basin.

Major extensional faulting and rifting began approximately 157-155 Ma allowing for the Zechstein evaporites to form a detachment between basement rocks and upper stratigraphy largely influencing the natural gas and oil formation seen across the North German Basin.

Organic-rich mudstones from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation is the source of the majority of the North German Basin's hydrocarbons which was restricted from migrating upward by the Zechstein salt.

[citation needed] In the Late Cretaceous, a significant phase of inversion took place due to the reactivation of strike-slip basement faults.