LATE CRETACEOUS SEDIMENTATION AND TECTONIC INVERSION, SOUTHERN NETHERLANDS

The Late Cretaceous in northwest Europe is characterised by general se alevel rise, leading to extensive platform carbonate sedimentation of the Chalk Group, and by tectonic inversion, as witnessed by uplift and erosion of the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous basins. The Roer Val ley Graben in the southern Netherlands was uplifted and eroded in the Late Cretaceous. The inversion was accomplished by the reverse rejuven ation of the graben-bounding faults. On the adjacent horst blocks nort heast of the graben, the Maasbommel High and the Peel Horst, a section of the Late Cretaceous Chalk Group has been preserved. Analysis of th e Late Cretaceous chronostratigraphy and facies of well Maasbommel-1 o n the Maasbommel High shows that the high occupied a marginal position in the basin in Cenomanian times, and a basinal position during the T uronian to Early Santonian. A pulse of elastic influx in the Late Sant onian to Early Campanian marks the onset of the reverse rejuvenation o f the graben-bounding Peel Boundary Fault and the uplift of the Roer V alley Graben relative to the Peel Horst and Maasbommel High. The inver sion ceased in the Late Maastrichtian, when large parts of the graben were flooded and a condensed sequence of post-inversion Chalk Group se diments was deposited regionally.