Tertiary relief generations between the Vosges and the Hunsrück mountains

After a short discussion of the older theories the geomorphological evolution between the Vosges and the Hunsrück mountains is reconstructed by evaluating geological data, comparing with neighbouring regions and taking the palaeoclimate into account.By the end of the Eocence the vast peneplain between the Vosges and the Rhenish Shield was eroded and a scarpland developed between these Hercynian blocks. As a consequence of the vigorous uplift of the Vosges during the lower and middle Oligocene the region was tilted toward the N. At the same time the scarpland was at least partially buried under its own detritus, and on the sedimentary surface thus formed the present river network developed. Since the Rhenish Shield was low lying, the watercourses were able to make their way to the N or NE without difficulty.During the Miocence the landscape was once more worn down to another peneplian which covered large parts of the Paris Basin, the Rhenish Shield and the N Vosges. The analysis of remnants of this plain shows that they cannot be explained by Schmitthenner's theory on scarplands.Erosion caused by Pliocene uplift has dissected this peneplain, and during a tectonic lull a lower surface with flat landforms came into existence.I am indebted to the Geological and Geographical Institutes of the University of the Saarland for allowing me the use of their well-equipped libraries.