Thermal state of the lithosphere in the Danube Basin and its relation to tectonics

Abstract The area of the Danube Basin is interesting in the light of the evaluation both of the lithosphere structure and of various theories of Carpathian-Pannonian region tectonic evolution. The aim of this paper is to analyse both the thermal conditions in the Danube Basin and the mutual relations to geological structure and tectonic development of the region under study. First the improved distributions of the terrestrial heat flow density and of the lithosphere thickness were constructed using recently gained geophysical and geological knowledge. Then the critical analysis of existing models of the tectonic development of the region under study was carried out. The tectono-thermal interpretation activities were accomplished by new geothermal modelling approach for transient regime which utilizes also the backstriped sedimentology data as a control parameter of model. Finally the McKenzie’s “pure-shear” model of the Danube basin was constructed as acceptable conception for used geothermal and tectonic data. The determined stretching parameter has an inhomogeneous horizontal distribution and the thinning factors express the depth dependency for separate lithospheric layers.