Wisdom and Geology, the North German Basin, and the Significance of Thrown Dices ()
ABSTRACT
For thousands of years, mankind
is observing the surrounding nature. Often, they found no obvious clues for inexplicable and
complex facts, leading to the belief that their wisdom was limited. This is in
the majority of cases still true today, but
based on hundreds of years of (geo-) scientific work some older thoughts can now be readjusted by
combining newer geological, environmental, historical and philosophical clues. Facts about the development of the North German Basin are used to demonstrate the
variability of geological systems and how these can be described by taking
dice as a metaphor for ruling geological
parameters. This includes all kinds of plate tectonically controlled
basin forming processes, especially metamorphism of the lower crust due to a fixed mantle plume, basin filling
processes with their galactic and lunar overprints, basin modifying
tectonics due to internal (halokinesis, inversion) or external forces (one-sided loads at the surface due to mighty Delta
sediments or glacial ice sheets) and geochemical reactions as a result of pressure and temperature changes in course of subsidence.
Especially, the Rotliegend (Lower
Permian) Gas Play is one of the possible illustrations of the
entity of the North
German Basin with its more than 70 - 90
independent parameters belonging to a global set of very complex hydrocarbon systems. Processes on Earth like
the formation of systems of hydrocarbon fields as well as environmental systems (e.g. river systems, lakes,
islands, sedimentary basins) are subordinated
to the dices of nature and are steered invisibly by a selection of rules of the game that one understands as natural
laws. The facts and remaining uncertainties
as well as problems with subsurface-related
processes (e.g. manmade tectonics, subsidence and
uplift) guide the thoughts of engaged individuals on how to proceed wisely with limited predictability of
challenges and dangers of a subsurface system. This
work will be a trial to associate once more the natural
sciences (geology) and the humanities (philosophy) for the benefit of both.
Share and Cite:
Brink, H. (2023) Wisdom and Geology, the North German Basin, and the Significance of Thrown Dices.
International Journal of Geosciences,
14, 150-186. doi:
10.4236/ijg.2023.141008.
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