marks of geology

The experimental site for irrigation and solar technology is located on the Hessian red sandstone slab at the intersection of two major European grave fault systems: the Mediterranean Mjösen zonerunning from the French Massif Central  in SW-northeastern direction to the Baltic Sea , and the SO-northwest running Eichenberg- Gotha- Saalfelder fault zone (Bundesanstalt Geological Survey 1971).

In connection with the numerous sprain fractures of the powerful triad plate (sandstone, limestone and Keuper) also the  strong uplifts are to be mentioned (breakthrough of the Paleozoic 1km south, obstruction of old Werratales 1km north) and the volcanic activity during the Tertiary period in the vicinity of the site.

The mentioned tectonic processes, as well as sandstone and limestone, but also Keuper, remains of Tertiary basalt, all the members of the Zechstein and greywacke, around Witzenhausen are responsible the upcoming substrates for soils and river sediments around.

The Werra river valley is a tectonically preformed river valley with  narrower valley portions and wide intrusion zones. Only some left parts of medium and high terraces can be seen.

The following figure shows a roughly schematically  hypothetical cross section (according to the geological map of Moesta (1878)).

In the south the bulge of the Werra-Slate can be observed, which forms the
drainage divide to the the small river Gelster. Iin the north is the the border to the Werra-Leine-mountains, which separates the nowadays Werra river from its old riverbed "Leine valley", since raising of the Eichenberger saddle in Neogene.