Permian of Central Europe (Dyas) | ||
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The Zechstein (German either from mine stone or tough stone) is a unit of sedimentary rock layers of Late Permian (Lopingian) age located in the European Permian Basin which stretches from the east coast of England to northern Poland. The name Zechstein was formerly also used as a unit of time in the geologic timescale, but nowadays it is only used for the corresponding sedimentary deposits in Europe.
The Zechstein lies on top of the Rotliegend; on top of the Zechstein is the Buntsandstein or Bunter. The Zechstein is associated with the accumulation of large amounts of salt rock between 257.3 and 251.0 million years ago.