Skip to main content

A Case Study of Gas-Water-Rock Interaction in a Volcanic Aquifer: The South-Western Flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily)

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Water Science and Technology Library ((WSTL,volume 40))

Abstract

New chemical and isotope data for 74 groundwater samples from the south- western slopes of Mt. Etna are presented. The processes responsible for the considerable chemical heterogeneity displayed by groundwaters were identified through factor analysis and by the use of mass balance calculations. A general hydrogeochemical model, concerning the interactions between the shallow volcanic aquifer, deep magma-derived fluids and the underlain sedimentary sequence, is also provided.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aiuppa, A., Allard, P., D’Alessandro, W., Michel, A., Parello, F., Treuil, M. and Valenza, M., Mobility and fluxes of major, minor and trace metals during basalt weathering and groundwater transport at Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 64 (11), 2000, 1827–1841.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allard, P., Carbonnelle, J., Dajlevic, D., Le Bronec, J., Morel, P., Robe, M. C., Maurenas, J.M., Faivre- Pierret, R., Martin, D., Sabroux, J.C. and Zettwoog, P., Eruptive and diffuse emissions of CO2 from Mount Etna. Nature 351, 1991, 387–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allard, P., Jean-Baptist,e P., D’Alessandro, W., Parello, F., Parisi, B. and Flehoc, C., Mantle-derived helium and carbon in groundwaters and gases of Mount Etna, Italy. Earth Planet. Sci. Letters 148, 1997, 501–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anz , S., Dongarr, G., Giammanco, S., Gottini, V. Hauser, S. and Valenza, M., Geochimica dei fluidi dell’Etna. Miner. Petrogr. Acta 32, 1989, 231–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aureli, A., Idrogeologia del fianco occidentale etneo. Proc. 2nd Int.l Congress on Underground Waters, Palermo, Italy, 1973, 425–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brusca, L., Aiuppa, A., D Alessandro, W., Parello, F., Allard, P. and Michel, A., Geochemical mapping of magmatic gas-water-rock interactions in the aquifer of Mount Etna volcano. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., special issue Magma degassing through volcanoes (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Capasso, G. and Inguaggiato, S., A simple method for the determination of dissolved gases in natural waters. An application to thermal waters from Vulcano Island. Appl. Geochem. 13, 1998, 631–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cer n, J.C., Jim nez-Espinosa, R. and Pulido-Bosch, A., Numerical analysis of hydrogeochemical data: a case study (Alto Guadalent n, southeast Spain). Appl. Geochem. 15, 2000, 1053–1067.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiodini, G., D’Alessandro, W. and Parello, F., Geochemistry of the gases and of the waters discharged by the mud volcanoes of Patern , Mt.Etna (Italy). Bull. Volcanol. 58, 1996, 51–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Condomines, M. and Tanguy, J.C., Age de 1 Etna determine par la m thode du d s quilibre radioactif 230Th/238rh/U. C. R. Acad.Sci.,Paris, 282D, 1976, 1661_1664

    Google Scholar 

  • Continisio, R., Ferrucci, F., Gaudiosi, G., Lo Bascio, D. and Ventura, G., Malta escarpment and Mt. Etna: early stages of an asymmetric rifting process? Evidences from geophysical and geological data, Acta Vulcanol., 9 (1/2), 1997, 45–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Alessandro, W., Giammanco, S., Parello, F. and Valenza, M., CO2 output and δ13C(CO2) from Mount Etna as indicators of degassing of shallow asthenosphere. Bull. Volcanol. 58, 1997a, 455–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Alessandro, W., De Gregorio, S., Dongarr, G., Gurrieri, S., Parello, F. and Parisi, B., Chemical and isotopic characterization of the gases of Mount Etna (Italy). J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 78, 1997b, 65– 76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D Alessandro, W., Inguaggiato, S., Federico, C. and Parello, F., Chemical composition of dissolved gases in groundwaters from Mt. Etna, Eastern Sicily. Proceedings of the 5th Int. Symp. Of the Earth s Surface, Reykjavik, Iceland, 16–20 Aug. 1999, Balkema, 1999, 491–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, G.R., Manganese-rich rock coatings from Iceland. Earth Surface and Landforms 12, 1987, 301–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrara, V., Idrogeologia del versante orientale dell’Etna. Proc. 3rd Intl. Congress on Underground Waters, Palermo, Italy, 1975, 91–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrels, R.M. and Mackenzie, F.T., Origin of the chemical compositions of some springs and lakes. In: Equilibrium concepts in natural water systems: Advances in chemical Series, 67, Am. Chem. Soc., Washington, 1967, 222–242.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Giammanco, S., Ottaviani, M., Valenza, M., Veschetti, E., Principio, E., Giammanco, G. and Pignato, S., Major and trace elements geochemistry in the ground waters of a volcanic area: Mount Etna (Sicily). Wat. Res. 32, 1998, 19–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kristmanndottir, H., Alteration of basaltic rocks by hydrothermal activity at 100–300iC. In International Clay Conference 1978 (eds M. Mortland and V.C. Farmer), 358–367, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kristmanndottir, H., Alteration in the IRDP drill hole compared with other drill holes in Iceland. J. Geophy. Res. 87, 1982, 6525–6531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lentini, F., The geology of the Mt. Etna basement. Mem. Soc. Geol. It. 23, 1982, 7–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loddo, M., Patella, D., Quarto, R., Ruina, G., Tramacere, A. and Zito, G., Application of gravity and deep dipole geoelectrics in the volcanic area of Mt. Etna (Sicily). J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 39, 1989, 17–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Longo, M., Studio chimico ed isotopico delle precipitazioni nell area etnea. unpublished degree thesis, Science Faculty, Palermo University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, K., Geothermal fluids. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1993.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • M trich, N. and Clocchiatti, R., Melt inclusion investigation of the volatile behaviour in historic alkaline magmas of Etna. Bull. Volcanol. 51, 1989, 185–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M trich, N., Clocchiatti, R., Mosbah, M. and Chaussidon, M., The 1989–1990 activity of Etna magma mingling and ascent of H2O-Cl-S-rich basaltic magma. Evidence from melt inclusions. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 59, 1993, 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogniben, L., Lineamenti idrogeologici dell’Etna. Rivista Mineraria Siciliana 100–102, 1966, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pennisi, M., Leeman, W.P., Tonarini, S., Pennisi, A. and Nabelek, P., Boron, Sr, O, and H isotope geochemistry of groundwaters from Mt. Etna (Sicily) - hydrologic implications, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta64/6, 2000, 961–974

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer, L.N. and Back, W., The mass balance approach: Applications to interpreting the chemical evolution of hydrologic systems. Am. J. Sci. 280, 1980, 130–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer, L.N., Parkhurst, D.L. and Thorstenson, D.C., Development of reaction models for groundwater systems. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 47, 1983, 665–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer, L.N., Busby, J.F., Lee, R.W. and Hanshaw, B.B., Geochemical modelling of the Madison aquifer in parts of Montana, Wyoming ans South Dakota. Water Resource Res. 26, 1990, 1981–2014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer, L.N., Prestemon, E.C. and Parkhurst, D.L., An interactive code (NETPATH) for modelling NET geochemical reactions along a flow PATH, version 2.0. U.S.G.S Water-Resources Investigations Report 94–4169, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romano, R., Succession of the volcanic activity in the Etnean area. Boll. Soc. Geol. It. 23, 1982, 27–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schilir, F., Proposta metodologica per una zonazione geologico-tecnica del centro abitato di Maletto. Geologia Tecnica 3/88, 1988, 32–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swan, A. R. H. and Sandilands, M., Introduction to geological data analysis. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanguy, J.C., Condomines, M. and Kieffer, G., Evolution of the Mount Etna magma: Constraints on the present feeding system and eruptive mechanism. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 75, 1997, 221–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Aiuppa, A., Brusca, L., D’Alessandro, W., Giammanco, S., Parello, F. (2002). A Case Study of Gas-Water-Rock Interaction in a Volcanic Aquifer: The South-Western Flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily). In: Stober, I., Bucher, K. (eds) Water-Rock Interaction. Water Science and Technology Library, vol 40. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0438-1_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0438-1_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3906-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0438-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics