Geological 3D modelling and data management for the Lausitz: a transboundary approach

Over the past 150 years, lignite mining in the Lausitz has created a cultural landscape under intensive human control. With the implementation of the Act to Reduce and End Coal-Fired Power Generation (KVBG), the region now faces a range of geotechnical, hydrogeological, hydrological and energy-related challenges that demand renewed attention.

The deposits within the Lausitz are characterised by thick Cenozoic sequences, which locally up to 350 m thick, rest on a pre-Tertiary bedrock surface dipping northward. These strata were formed through an interplay of repeated marine transgressions and regressions, marsh formation, and terrestrial sedimentation processes. Following Quaternary glacial systems produced heterogenic sedimentary systems with interglacial layers. Particularly, deeply eroded channels and extensive glacial deformation zones lead to highly complex geological units.

The aim of the Project is to provide a detailed 3D model of the geological situation within the Lusatian area, independent of national borders and associated political responsibilities. The model will incorporate detailed stratigraphic, lithological and structural parameters of the Cenozoic deposits. In the current phase of the project, the focus is on developing the methodological approach, data management, statistical analysis and technical data processing.

Ultimately, the 3D model will cover both active and former opencast mining fields, as well as the previously underrepresented areas in between them. It will provide a spatially resolved representation of the Quaternary and Tertiary successions, serving as a fundamental tool for subsequent modelling-such as groundwater flow simulations for transboundary groundwater management in Saxony and Brandenburg, shallow geothermal energy assessments, and addressing further geotechnical issues.