A 3D structural model of the northern part of the Northeast German Basin was evaluated with special emphasis on the structural framework and its Mesozoic and Cenozoic evolution. The model was the basis for a 3D backstripping approach, considering salt flow as a consequence of spatially changing overburden load distribution, isostatic rebound and sedimentary compaction for each backstripping step in order to restore the subsidence history in the region. Additionally, a neotectonic forward modelling was completed in an attempt to predict the future topography of the region when the system is in tectonic equilibrium. The results reveal that two periods of accelerating salt movement can be correlated with the E-W directed extension the basin experienced during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic and later by the Late Cretaceous to Early Cenozoic inversion. This suggests that the regional stress field plays a key role for the halokinesis in the region. Furthermore, the neotectonic modelling shows that many off the salt structures in the region are still active and that the future coastline presumably will run with a WNW-ESE trend, arguing that the compressional stresses related to the Alpine Orogeny are the prime factor for the present day landscape evolution.
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