Reconstruction of the surface temperature in the Kura depression (Azerbaijan) by the inversion of borehole data

In order to reconstruct the ground surface temperature history (GSTH) in the Kura depression from the data on borehole temperatures, we selected two thermal logs, which met the requirements of the well temperature inversion into the GSTH. The temperature gradients measured in these wells varied about 20 K/km, which is typical for the region of study. The borehole temperatures were inverted into the ground surface temperatures in the past in accordance with the program developed by Po Yu Shen. It was found that the ground surface temperature had increased by 1–2°C during the last century. The GSTH derived from the well temperature inversion agrees with the climate temperatures measured at the Ganca meteorological station, which has been operating since 1873. These results obtained for the Kura depression are consistent also with the results of similar studies in other regions in the world.