Characterisation and origin of hydrothermal waters at São Miguel (Azores) inferred by chemical and isotopic composition

2017

Abstract This study focuses on the characterisation and origin of hydrothermal waters discharging from three main active volcanoes (Furnas, Fogo and Sete Cidades) at Sao Miguel, where 33 water with temperatures ranging between 13 and 97 °C, and 5 precipitate samples were collected. The developed conceptual model for this active hydrothermal system reveals that all waters can be classified by Na-HCO 3 , Na-Cl and Na-SO 4 types and are of meteoric origin. This is confirmed by the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope data that are positioned close to the local meteoric water line (− 4.1‰ ≤ δ 18 O H2O  ≤ 5.2‰; − 17.6‰ ≤ δD H2O  ≤ 20.4‰), except for the Na-Cl type water at Ferraria (Sete Cidades a…