Correlation between organic and inorganic indicators of thermal maturity in Dukla Nappe (Polish Outer Carpathians)

Abstract

Correlation between organic (vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and Rock-Eval Tmax temperature) and inorganic (mixed layer illite/smectite (I/S)) indicators of thermal maturity depend mainly on the maximum temperature achieved by the rock and the time exposure of this temperature. During sedimentary or tectonic burial of rocks, clay minerals may react diversely to organic matter due to heat flow features and the duration of heating (Aldega et al. 2005). The aim of this study was to correlate maximum paleotemperatures of the Oligocene Menilite Shales from the Polish Outer Carpathians determined based on vitrinite reflectance and Rock-Eval pyrolysis data to those calculated using I/S ratio.