Active Degassing of Deeply Sourced Fluids in Central Europe: New Evidences From a Geochemical Study in Serbia

We report on the results of an extensive geochemical survey of fluids released in the Vardar zone (central-western Serbia), a mega-suture zone at the boundary between Eurasia and Africa plates. Thirty-one bubbling gas samples are investigated for their chemical and isotopic compositions (He, C, Ar) and cluster into three distinct groups (CO2-dominated, N2-dominated, and CH4-dominated) based on the dominant gas species. The measured He isotope ratios range from 0.08 to 1.19 Ra (where Ra is the atmospheric ratio), and reveal for the first time the presence of a minor (<20%) but detectable regional mantle-derived component in Serbia. δ13C values range from −20.2‰ to −0.1‰ (versus PDB), with…

Outgassing of mantle fluids across an tectonically active crustal segment in between two volcanic systems (Etna and Aeolian arc): the Nebrodi-Peloritani case

Mantle-degassing occurs primarily through active volcanic systems and young oceanic lithosphere. Mantle-volatiles are also released by tectonically active continental regions, but the magnitude of this phenomenon is far less characterised. Helium (He) is a powerful tracer to track deep volatile degassing, because the mantle contains more 3He than the crust/atmosphere systems, which are dominated by radiogenic 4He produced in the crust. Here, we studied the volatiles in thermal manifestations discharged along the Nebrodi- Peloritani chain in north-eastern Sicily, with the aim of investigating the origin of thermalism and the related fluids. Thisseismically active region connects the African-…

New insights into magma dynamics during last two eruptions of Mount Etna as inferred by geochemical monitoring from 2002 to 2005

Two distinct eruptive events characterize the volcanic activity at Mount Etna during the 2002 to 2005 period. We identified signals of magma ascent preceding these eruptions by geochemical monitoring of both chemical composition and He-isotope ratio of gas emissions from five locations in the peripheral area of the volcano. The geochemical signals are interpreted using the models proposed by Caracausi et al. (2003a, 2003b) and allow identification of episodes of magma ascent and estimation of the pressures of degassing magma. As observed for the 2001 eruption (Caracausi et al., 2003b), magma ascent probably triggered the onset of the 2002–2003 eruption, and minor events of magma ascent were…

New Inferences on Magma Dynamics in Melilitite-Carbonatite Volcanoes: The Case Study of Mt. Vulture (Southern Italy)

This study provides the first micro-thermometric data of fluid inclusions (FIs) in mafic loose (disaggregated) xenocrysts and ultramafic xenoliths in explosive products of the melilitite-carbonatite Mt. Vulture volcano (southern Italy). Pure CO2 late stage FIs hosted in rock-forming minerals of wehrlite xenoliths and clinopyroxene xenocrysts were trapped at the local crust-mantle boundary (32 km). In contrast, trapping pressures within the loose olivine xenocrysts are from 3.2 to 4.5 kbar (8–13 km). Considering the ongoing degassing of mantle-derived CO2 rich gases, together with seismic evidences of the presence of low amount of melts at depth, and the tectonic control of the past volcanic…

Gas hazard assessment at the Monticchio crater lakes of Mt. Vulture, a volcano in Southern Italy

Geochemical investigations have shown that there is a considerable inflow of gas into both crater lakes of Monticchio, Southern Italy. These lakes are located in two maars that formed 140 000 years ago during Mt. Vulture volcanos last eruptive activity. Isotopic analyses suggest that CO2 and helium are of magmatic origin; the latter displays 3 He ⁄ 4 He isotope ratios similar to those measured in olivines of the maar ejecta. In spite of the fact that the amount of dissolved gases in the water is less than that found in Lake Nyos (Cameroon), both the results obtained and the historical reports studied indicate that these crater lakes could be highly hazardous sites, even though they are loca…

Strongly SiO2-undersaturated, CaO-rich kamafugitic Pleistocene magmatism in Central Italy (San Venanzo volcanic complex) and the role of shallow depth limestone assimilation

The Pleistocene (~460–265 ka) San Venanzo volcanic complex belongs to the IAP (Intra-Apennine Province) in central Italy, which comprises at least four small Pleistocene monogenetic volcanoes plus several unrooted pyroclastic deposits with peculiar mineralogical and whole-rock chemical compositions. San Venanzo products are strongly SiO2-undersaturated, CaO- and MgO-rich and show ultrapotassic serial character. The relatively common occurrence of calcite in the pyroclastic rocks and the overall high CaO content are interpreted in literature as primary mineral. The main rock facies at San Venanzo are calcite-rich scoria and lapilli tuffs, with minor massive lava flows, and a rare pegma…

Hydrogeochemical multi-component approach to assess fluids upwelling and mixing in shallow carbonate-evaporitic aquifers (Contursi area, southern Apennines, Italy)

With the aim of deepening our understanding of deep-seated fluids upwelling and mixing in large regional aquifers, we performed a hydrogeochemical study of twenty-two springs in the Contursi area (upper Sele river valley, southern Apennines) by means of the measurements of chemical-physical parameters, major ions, trace elements, and stable and radioactive isotopes. Besides, we realized two updated geo-structural cross-sections in order to reconstruct the groundwater flowpath in the study area. The hydrogeochemical composition, as well as the water temperature allow to identify-three main groups of groundwater: Cold and Low salinity Groundwater (CLGW), Intermediate Salinity Groundwater (ISG…

Mount Etna: Geochemical signals of magma ascent and unusually extensive plumbing system

] FiveyearsofgasmonitoringfromselectedsitessuggestthatMtEtna’splumbingsystemismuchmoreextensivethanpreviously reported. It extends at least 40 km SW from thevolcano’s boundary along the NE-SW regional fault, whereit discharges about 200 tons/day of gas, containing heliumwith mantle-type isotopic composition. Synchronousvariations of

Evidence of deep magma degassing and ascent by geochemistry of peripheral gas emissions at Mount Etna (Italy): Assessment of the magmatic reservoir pressure

[1] Five gas discharges in the area of Mount Etna volcano (Italy) and in the near Hyblean plateau have been monitored since 1996. All the emissions displayed low contributions from crustal fluids, whereas magmatic gases were the main component. Selective dissolution of these gases into hydrothermal aquifers has been recognized and modeled, allowing us to calculate the original composition of the magma-released gases. The inferred composition of the magmatic gases exhibits synchronous variations of He/Ne and He/CO2 ratios, which are coherent with the magma degassing process. On the basis of numerical simulations of volatile degassing from Etnean basalts we have computed the initial and final…

Outgassing of Mantle Volatiles in Compressional Tectonic Regime Away From Volcanism: The Role of Continental Delamination

In this study we discuss the occurrence of mantle-derived heat and volatiles (i.e., helium and CO 2 ) feeding hydrothermal systems in a seismically active margin between two convergent plates (African and European) without any signals of volcanism. The helium (He) isotopes clearly indicate a mantle-derived component in the outgassing volatiles. The estimated mantle-derived He fluxes are up to two to three orders of magnitude greater than those in a stable continental area. Such high He fluxes cannot be provided by a long-lasting diffusion, thereby implying a more efficient transport (i.e., advective transport through faults). He data coupled to heat-He relationship suggest the occurrence of…

The role of trapped fluids during the development and deformation of a carbonate/shale intra-wedge tectonic mélange (Mt. Massico, Southern Apennines, Italy)

Abstract Numerous studies exist on exhumed tectonic melanges along subduction channels whereas, in accretionary wedge interiors, deformation mechanisms and related fluid circulation in tectonic melanges are still underexplored. We combine structural and microstructural observations with geochemical (stable and clumped isotopes and isotope composition of noble gases in fluid inclusions of calcite veins) and U-Pb geochronological data to define deformation mechanisms and syn-tectonic fluid circulation within the Mt. Massico intra-wedge tectonic melange, located in the inner part of the central-southern Apennines accretionary wedge, Italy. This melange developed by shear deformation at the bas…

Mud volcanoes as key-systems to investigate continental degassing and therole of seismicity on mass transfer

The flow of fluids into the Earth’s crust can produce large-scale heat and mass transport. The mechanisms and driving forces for this fluid-transport range from molecular diffusion, to grain boundary diffusion and to advective flow. Recent studies [Torgersen,2010 and references therein] suggest that largescale vertical transport of fluids in the continental crust is likely advective and episodic. So it is crucial to understand if the variability of the measured degassing flux is a reflection of this episodic and advective transport. Here we try to answer these questions by using the noble gases. In particularly He that is recognized as a powerful tracer in variousfields, such as hydrology, …

Fluid escape structures in the north Sicily continental margin

Abstract High resolution and multichannel seismic profiles coupled with multibeam echosounder (seafloor relief) data, acquired along the northern Sicily continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), document the occurrence of mound and pockmark features, revealing fluid escape processes. Along this margin, morphology of the high-gradient continental slope is irregular due to the presence of structural highs, slope failures and canyons, and is interrupted by flat areas at a mean depth of 1500 m. Seismostratigraphic analysis tools and methods were used to identify fluid escape structures and to work out a classification on the basis of their morpho-acoustic characteristics. The detailed 3D ba…

Mantle-derived fluids discharged at the Bradanic foredeep/Apulian foreland boundary: The Maschito geothermal gas emissions (southern Italy)

Abstract The mephitis of Maschito, known since historical times as Lago Fetente (Smelly Lake) -although the lake is now dry-, is located 20 km from the Mt. Vulture volcanic edifice (Southern Italy). It is placed along the same regional tectonic discontinuity where some maars are located, close to the boundary between the foredeep and the Apulian foreland. About 300 m2 of surface is lacking in flora, while dead animals are frequently found all around it. The smelly exhalations are mainly composed of CO2 (∼98%), and, in lesser amounts, of H2S, N2, CH4 and other hydrocarbons. He, Ne and Ar occur in trace amounts. The CO2 isotopic composition is in the range of that of the main active Italian v…

Continental degassing of helium in an active tectonic setting (northern Italy): the role of seismicity

AbstractIn order to investigate the variability of helium degassing in continental regions, its release from rocks and emission into the atmosphere, here we studied the degassing of volatiles in a seismically active region of northern Italy (MwMAX = 6) at the Nirano-Regnano mud volcanic system. The emitted gases in the study area are CH4–dominated and it is the carrier for helium (He) transfer through the crust. Carbon and He isotopes unequivocally indicate that crustal-derived fluids dominate these systems. An high-resolution 3-dimensional reconstruction of the gas reservoirs feeding the observed gas emissions at the surface permits to estimate the amount of He stored in the natural reserv…

Massive submarine gas output during the volcanic unrest off Panarea Island (Aeolian arc, Italy): Inferences for explosive conditions

The possibility of understanding natural processes leading to explosive events in volcanic systems provides advantages for a better management of possible volcanic crises. On account of the possibility of the occurrence of other phenomena, such as tsunamis, the explosions driven by submarine volcanic systems are of particular interest, although little investigated. The recent sudden increase in the degassing activity of the submarine geothermal system of Panarea Island (Aeolian arc), has allowed us to better understand the way in which the quiet degassing activity of a submarine hydrothermal system may develop if new magma or magmatic gases feed it. We focused our investigations on the crat…

Active degassing of crustal CO2 in areas of tectonic collision: A case study from the Pollino and Calabria sectors (Southern Italy)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released from the Earth’s interior into the atmosphere through both volcanic and non-volcanic sources in a variety of tectonic settings. A quantitative understanding of CO2 outgassing fluxes in different geological settings is thus critical for decoding the link between the global carbon budget and different natural processes (e.g., volcanic eruption and earthquake nucleation) and the effects on the climate evolution over geological time. It has recently been proposed that CO2 degassing from non-volcanic areas is a major component of the natural CO2 emission budget, but available data are still sparse and incomplete. Here, we report the results of a geochemical surve…

Active geodynamic in the central Mediterranean: Transfer of mantle fluids across the north-eastern Sicily

Geochemical insight into differences in the physical structures and dynamics of two adjacent maar lakes at Mt. Vulture volcano (southern Italy)

[1] We report on the first geochemical investigation of the Monticchio maar lakes (Mt. Vulture volcano, southern Italy) covering an annual cycle that aimed at understanding the characteristic features of the physical structures and dynamics of the two lakes. We provide the first detailed description of the lakes based on high-resolution conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles, chemical and isotopic (H and O) compositions of the water, and the amounts of dissolved gases (e.g., He, Ar, CH4, and CO2). The combined data set reveals that the two lakes, which are separated by less than 200 m, exhibit different dynamics: one is a meromictic lake, where the waters are rich in biogenic and man…

Fluid geochemistry in a low-enthalpy geothermal field along a sector of southern Apennines chain (Italy)

Abstract The chemical and isotopic features of the fluids (water and gases) in the Lucane thermal area (southern Italy) have been investigated in order to verify their origin, water temperature in the geothermal reservoir, and to recognize the main natural processes concerning the water composition during ascent towards the surface. The Lucane geothermal system is placed in the southern sector of the Apennines chains, a seismically active area, close to the southern base of the Mt. Alpi carbonate massif. Along the study area, two main sets of high-angle faults form an almost orthogonal fault system that, as suggested by local structural geology, acts as a preferential pathway for uprising d…

An overview of the geochemical characteristics of oceanic carbonatites: New insights from Fuerteventura carbonatites (Canary islands)

The occurrence of carbonatites in oceanic settings is very rare if compared with their continental counterpart, having been reported only in Cape Verde and Canary Islands. This paper provides an overview of the main geochemical characteristics of oceanic carbonatites, around which many debates still exist regarding their petrogenesis. We present new data on trace elements in minerals and whole-rock, together with the first noble gases isotopic study (He, Ne, Ar) in apatite, calcite, and clinopyroxene from Fuerteventura carbonatites (Canary Islands). Trace elements show a similar trend as Cape Verde carbonatites, almost tracing the same patterns on multi-element and REE abundance diagrams. 3…

Changes in fluid geochemistry and physico-chemical conditions of geothermal systems caused by magmatic input: The recent abrupt outgassing off the island of Panarea (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

Abstract Hydrothermal systems and related vents can exhibit dramatic changes in their physico-chemical conditions over time as a response to varying activity in the feeding magmatic systems. Massive steam condensation and gas scrubbing processes of thermal fluids during their ascent and cooling cause further compositional changes that mask information regarding the conditions evolving at depth in the hydrothermal system. Here we propose a new stability diagram based on the CO2-CH4-CO-H2 concentrations in vapor, which aims at calculating the temperatures and pressures in hydrothermal reservoirs. To filter gas scrubbing effects, we have also developed a model for selective dissolution of CO2-…

Evidence of a recent input of magmatic gases into the quiescent volcanic edifice of Panarea, Aeolian Islands, Italy

- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples, Italy. - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. - Dipartimento Chimica e Fisica della Terra ed Applicazioni, Palermo, Italy.

Active geodynamics of the central Mediterranean Sea: Tensional tectonic evidences in western Sicily from mantle-derived helium

[1] We report results on the measured high 3He/4He isotope ratio in western Sicily, interpreted together with the heat data. The study of this sector of the Europe-Africa interaction is crucial to a better understanding of the tectonics and the geodynamical evolution of the central Mediterranean area. The estimated mantle-derived helium fluxes in the investigated areas are up to 2–3 orders of magnitude greater than those of a stable continental area. The highest flux, found in the southernmost area near the Sicily Channel, where recent eruptions of the Ferdinandea Island occurred 20 miles out to sea off Sciacca, has been associated with a clear excess of heat flow. Our results indicate that…

Micro-thermometry and minerochemical composition of ultramafic xenoliths and minerals from Mt. Vulture volcano (southern Italy)

Here minerochemical composition and micro-thermometric data of ultramafic xenoliths (wehrlite) and loose xenocrysts (olivine and Cr-diopside) from the last melilitite-carbonatite explosive volcanic activity of Mt. Vulture volcano. In addition, some geometrical parameters of pelletal lapilli are reported.