The Solfatara Magmatic-Hydrothermal System

lt;p>Luigi Marini has an activity record of more than 40 years in applied geochemistry, both in the industrial sector (in the companies of the ENI Group Geotecneco and Aquater and in the private companies Geotermica Italiana, Chemgeo, and STEAM), as well as in the teaching and research sector, at the University of Genova and at the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of the National Research Council of Italy (IGG-CNR) in Pisa. He has been involved in several applied-research projects (funded by the European Union, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CNR, the Tuscany Region, etc.) to develop new geochemical methodologies.

Claudia Principe serves as a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of CNR (IGG-CNR) of Pisa where she leads the laboratories for archaeomagnetic measurements and microstratigraphic coring studies. Her research interests include the chrono-stratigraphy and geological mapping in volcanic areas for the evaluation of the volcanic hazard as well as the history of volcanology and geo-archaeology for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironments. She is author of more than 160 scientific articles and geological maps of several volcanoes.

Matteo Lelli received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Earth Sciences at the University of Pisa in 1999 and 2004, respectively. Since 2010, he is serving as a researcher at the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of the National Research Council of Italy (IGG-CNR) in Pisa, where he currently leads the fluid geochemical laboratory for water and gas analyses. His research activity is focused on fluid geochemistry in different frameworks. He participated in several scientific and/or industrial projects aimed at the exploration and exploitation of geothermal resources and the evaluation and mitigation of volcanic hazard both in Italy (Aeolian Islands, Campi Flegrei, Larderello and Monte Amiata) and abroad.

Preface.- Introduction.- 1. Historical data.- 2. Summary of the Campi Flegrei geology.- 3. The magmatic - hydrothermal system hosted in the Campi Flegrei caldera with emphasis on the Solfatara.- 4. The expansion (decompression) of the Solfatara fumarolic fluids.- 5. Chemical and isotopic characteristics of Solfatara-Pisciarelli fumarolic fluids.- 6. The geoindicators involving H₂O, CO₂, CO, CH₄ and H_2.- 7. The chemical kinetics of the reactions involving H₂O, CO₂, CO, CH₄ and H_2.- 8. Calibration and application of the RWG and SS4 indicators for the possible expansion paths of Solfatara fluids.- 9. The redox potential and sulfur gas species.- 10. Soil CO₂ diffuse degassing and thermal energy release as indicators of volcanic unrest in the Solfatara-Pisciarelli area.- 11. A comparison between the Solfatara and other magmatic-hydrothermal systems.- 12. Conclusive remarks.