Permian

In North-West Europe two mega-basins began their development during Late Carboniferous to Early Permian: The South Permian Basin stretching from eastern England into Poland , and the North Permian Basin reaching from Scotland into Denmark. These two basins were separated by the Mid North Sea High and the Ringkøbing-Fyn High which came into existence early in Permian. The initial phase of subsidence was accompanied by extensive subaerial volcanism. This was followed by a period of oxidation and erosion under desert conditions and deposition of red beds and sabkha sediments in the two Permian basins (fig. 19). These rocks are included in the Rotliegendes Group as originally established by Werner (1786). Continuous subsidence and transgression of the sea, but with a restricted connection to the ocean, lead to the formation of the evaporites of the Zechstein Group.