## 5 Conclusions  
In this study we present a new model of the sedimentary cover for the southern part of the East European Platform (EEP) and some adjoining structures. This model, which implies thickness and density of sediments, is based on the analysis of the decompensative gravity anomalies. Up to now, most of the gravity studies were employed the Bouguer or isostatic gravity anomalies for investigation of the upper crust structure. Our study confirms that ignoring the effect of the deep masses that compensate near-surface load may principally bias the result. The decompensative correction computed for the study area spans within \(\pm\)50 mGal, which is about half of the amplitude of the initial isostatic anomalies. The resulting decompensative gravity anomalies have been used for modification of the initial model of the sedimentary cover. The analysis of the new model for the southern part of the East European Platform, Greater Caucasus and adjacent areas shows that in general it better matches to the modern view on the geology and tectonics of this region, despite of some differences with a number of studies. It is worth noting that several principal corrections have been obtained for density and thickness of several deep basins, whose structure has been debated for decades. In particular, the new information on the Black and Caspian Sea basins has been obtained. In the new model we also found a strong difference between the northern and southern parts of the East Black Sea, however the deepest basin in the western part is located in the north and joined to the Indolo-Kuban basin. This conclusion contradicts to previous studies, which defined basement as a top of the Cretaceous rocks, and demonstrates that they, and possibly even older layers, should be included in a complete model. Another principal finding is that metamorphosed sediments in the East Greater Caucasus are characterized by remarkably less densities than it was suggested in the initial model, in which they are almost indistinguishable from the crystalline rocks of the Western Greater Caucasus already at rather shallow depths. Significant corrections are also obtained for the foredeep of the East Greater Caucasus, the Terek-Caspian depression. In the new model it is nearly jointed with the deepest part of the South Caspian depression. In the corrected model, the maximum depth to basement is shifted from its central part to the north close to the Apsheron Trough with the thickness of sediments up to 25 km. In the Pre-Caspian (or North Caspian) basin, the thickness of sediments is significantly reduced in the eastern part compared to the initial model. This reduction agrees with several recent seismic studies and is likely related to the former tectonic activity at the active continental margin of the Paleozoic Ural ocean in the east and southeast of the modern Pre-Caspian depression basin. Therefore, the method based on the analysis of the decompensative anomalies can reveal hidden features of the sedimentary cover. It doesn't provide a comprehensive 3D model of sediments, some issues remain unresolved. In particularly, the resolution of the initial gravity field might be insufficient due to the lack of dense ground networks. However, the revealed anomalies may indicate potential areas, which can be investigated in details, not only for fundamental purposes but also in applied geology, including mineral deposits prospecting and engineering. Conceptualization, M.K.K. and A.G.; methodology, M.K.K. ; software, A.G. and M.K.K. ; validation, M.K.K., R.S., and A.O. ; formal analysis, M.K.K. ; investigation, R.I.K. ; resources, A.G.; data curation, M.K.K. ; writing--Original draft preparation, M.K.K. and R.S. ; writing--Review and editing, A.O. ; visualization, R.S. ; supervision, M.K.K. ; project administration, R.I.K. ; funding acquisition, A.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.