An important new discovery has been made by a group of scholars who detected an anomaly in the composition of the gases in the Solfatara fumaroles in Campi Flegrei, attributable to the contribution of magmatic gases.
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It was discovered by a team of researchers from the Vesuvius Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV-OV), in collaboration with the University of Palermo, the University of Cambridge and theVesuvius ObservatoryWoods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
The study, titled “Escalation of caldera unrest indicated by increasing emission of isotopically light sulphur”, was recently published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.
Since 2018 there has been an increase in hydrogen sulphide in the fumaroles of Solfatara
Since the end of 2018, hydrogen sulfide concentrations in the Solfatara fumaroles have shown a significant increase, which has been analyzed with advanced analytical techniques.
"Our analyses demonstrate that the observed variations are not only due to superficial hydrothermal processes. The sulfur anomaly recorded in the fumaroles indicates an increasing contribution of gas from the magma that feeds the Campi Flegrei volcanic system, strengthening the hypothesis of a magmatic involvement in the current bradyseismic crisis", has explained Alexander Aiuppa, professor at the University of Palermo.
Through systematic sampling and chemical analysis, the study detected an increase in the contribution of magmatic gases from a magma located between six and nine kilometers deep. This increase in gases towards the surface caused the heating of the hydrothermal system, contributing to the seismicity observed in recent years at Campi Flegrei and to the remobilization of sulfur trapped in hydrothermal minerals.
“An increasing release of sulfur from fumaroles It is typical of quiescent volcanoes that may be in the reactivation phase”, the team added, comparing data from Campi Flegrei with other volcanic systems. Before this study, it was thought that hydrogen sulfide concentrations were regulated by low-temperature reactions in the shallow hydrothermal system.
“Our work documents a clear evolution in the origin of sulfur, with an increasing magmatic contribution in the gases, suggesting a significant evolution in the dynamics of the Phlegraean volcanic system since 2018”, ha sottolineato John Chiodini, associate researcher at INGV. Although the results do not predict an imminent eruption, they highlight the need for continued monitoring.
“These results improve our understanding of the ongoing bradyseismic crisis and underline the importance of constant monitoring”, he added Stephen Caliro, technologist responsible for the geochemical monitoring of Campania volcanoes at INGV-OV and first author of the study. The research is supported by one of the most complete datasets in the world on the composition of fumaroles, with data collected from 1980 to today.
The researchers analyzed gas samples in the laboratory and used numerical models to interpret the data. “The accuracy and continuity of this dataset are crucial to understanding the evolution of the system”, Caliro said. Further developments will require continuous monitoring of fumaroles and increasingly sophisticated analysis. Mauro A. DiVito, director of INGV-OV and co-author of the article, underlined the importance of multi-parametric monitoring in both the emerged and submerged parts of the caldera to have an accurate vision of the evolution of the system.
“Studying the minerals of the hydrothermal system will allow us to better understand the role of sulfur remobilization”, concluded Aiuppa, highlighting how each new data is crucial to understand the evolution of the volcanic system. This study represents a step forward in the understanding of an area of great scientific and social interest, contributing to the conscious management of one of the most complex volcanic systems in the world.
Article published on 24 January 2025 - 12:21
