Paleotemperature reconstructions based on vitrinite thermometry data (on the example of the Upper Paleozoic deposits of the Dnieper-Donets depression and the adjacent margins of the Donbas)

Abstract

The article is devoted to paleotemperature reconstructions based on the data on the reflectance of the vitrinite of coal organic matter in the Upper Paleozoic deposits of the Don-Dnieper trough (within the Dnieper-Donets depression and adjacent parts of the Donbas). It is builds on earlier work on reconstructing the paleogeothermal regime by establishing paleogeothermal gradients and amplitudes of vertical displacements of rock massifs. Paleogeothermal indicators are associated with the geodynamic setting of the subsoil, which determines the intensity and nature of the distribution of heat sources, geological development, and features of the tectonic structure of the region. Based on the results, a map of the distribution of paleotemperatures at a depth of 3 km was constructed. An analysis of the changes and patterns in the distribution of paleotemperatures makes it possible to reveal the role of volcanism, deep faults geodynamics, and lithospheric parameters in the thermal history of the region, as well as to evaluate its thermal field evolution. The presented map, along with the previously published maps of the paleogeothermal gradients and amplitudes of vertical displacements of rock massifs, can be used to demonstrate the features and patterns of the regional distribution of the indicated parameters. It could become a powerful tool in the study of the tectonic and geothermal history of the region.