Below you see two plots of thermal histories versus time (x-axis) and depth (y-axis). The thin white line marks the basal unconformity in both plots. The subsidence history is quite similar in the two plots, but the thermal history is completely different. Both basins has the same start-out configuration, and includes mineral phase transitions in the lithosphere, yet their tectonic history differs completely.
The geotherm effects the generation of oil, strength of the lithosphere, geochronology and much more. Thus understanding e.g. when and how deep oil was generated calls for a understanding of the tectonic models behind the temperature of the basin.