Coalification and geothermics in Meso- and Paleozoic sediments of Northern Switzerland and comparison to coalification data from Southern Germany

Coalification studies were carried out on samples of the boreholes Schafisheim, Riniken and Weiach (Northern Switzerland). They show a relative high rank of the coals of Stephanian age explored by the Weiach borehole. The phenomenon is explained by unnormal high heating of the seams during the late Palaeozoic. The sediments of Mesozoic age have more or less the same rank in northern Switzerland, although they are situated today at different depth. The coalification process of these sediments must have been finished before the last tectonic events occurred. A similar development of temperatures and rank is derivable for the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic of the Schramberg trough, explored by the borehole Urach 3. The structure of this trough, situated in south Germany, is similar to the Permocarboniferous trough of northern Switzerland. (author) 12 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs