0000000000358331
AUTHOR
F. Boatta
Plants as biomonitors for volcanic emissions
Biomonitoring techniques have been widely used in environmental studies to monitor anthropogenic pollutant. Recently such techniques have been applied also to ascertain the impact of contaminants naturally released by volcanic activity. In the present study a biomonitoring surveys has been performed in many different active volcanic systems: Mt. Etna and Vulcano (Italy), Nisyros (Greece), Nyiragongo (DRC), Masaya (Nicaragua), Gorely (Kamchatka, Russia). We sampled leaves of different species Betulla aethnensis, Pinus nigra, Populus tremula, Senecio aethnensis and Rumex aethnensis on Etna, Cistus creticus and salvifolius on Vulcano and Nisyros, Senecio ssp. on Nyiragongo, a Fern on Masaya an…
Geochemical survey of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), a natural laboratory for the study of ocean acidification
Abstract Shallow submarine gas vents in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), emit around 3.6t CO2 per day providing a natural laboratory for the study of biogeochemical processes related to seabed CO2 leaks and ocean acidification. The main physico-chemical parameters (T, pH and Eh) were measured at more than 70 stations with 40 seawater samples were collected for chemical analyses. The main gas vent area had high concentrations of dissolved hydrothermal gases, low pH and negative redox values all of which returned to normal seawater values at distances of about 400 m from the main vents. Much of the bay around the vents is corrosive to calcium carbonate; the north shore has a gradient in s…