Soft-sediment deformation of Late Pleistocene sediments along the southwestern coast of the Baltic Sea (NE Germany)

A 1,460-m-long profile of a Late Glacial subglacial, glacio-fluvial, glacio-limnic and glacio-deltaic sequence exposed at a cliff section on Usedom Island (SW Baltic Sea coast) is described. The sequence is up to 31 m thick and shows sedimentary structures typical of a glacial setting. Soft-sediment deformation is encountered and is associated with changes in lithology. These deformations include liquefaction, slumping, and faulting. As the most plausible cause, earthquake-induced shaking is discussed. The associated neotectonic activity is seen as a consequence of the postglacial isostatic crustal rebound. As the deglaciation earthquake ratio diminishes with time and as the rebound is phasing out, no large earthquakes are anticipated for northern Germany, although in conclusion the lithosphere of the North German Basin has to be regarded as weakened by repeated ice loading and deloading.