The analysis of ten years of sampling of CO2 dissolved in the waters of the Apennine aquifers showed its maximum concentration on the occasion
of intense seismic activity
In the Apennine chain, CO2 emissions of deep origin appear to be well correlated with the occurrence and evolution of seismic sequences over the last decade. This is the result of the study “Correlation between tectonic CO2 Earth degassing and seismicity is revealed by a ten-year record in the Apennines, Italy” conducted by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the University of Perugia (UNIPG) just published in 'Science Advances'.
“An analysis of geochemical and geophysical data collected from 2009 to 2018 was conducted for the first time,” explains Giovanni Chiodini, INGV researcher and coordinator of the study. “The results of this research have highlighted a correspondence between deep CO2 emissions and seismicity showing how, in periods of high seismic activity, there are peaks in the deep CO2 flow which gradually decrease as the seismic energy and the number of earthquakes”.
Our planet releases CO2 of deep origin mainly from volcanoes; however, these emissions also occur in seismic areas where there are no active volcanoes. In particular, this phenomenon is more intense in regions characterized by extensional tectonics, such as the Apennine area.
"Although the temporal relationships between the occurrence of a seismic event and the release of CO2 are still to be studied", continues Chiodini, "in this study we hypothesize that the evolution of seismicity in the Apennine area is modulated by the ascent of CO2 accumulated in crustal reservoirs and derived from the fusion of portions of plate that immerse themselves in the mantle".
This continuous large-scale, deep-sea production of CO2 promotes the formation of overpressurized reservoirs.
“Seismicity in mountain ranges”, add the INGV researchers Francesca Di Luccio and Guido Ventura, co-authors of the study, “It could be related to the depressurization of these reservoirs and the consequent release of fluids which, in turn, activate the faults responsible for the earthquakes”.
The study was conducted by sampling high-flow sources (tens of thousands of liters per second) located near the epicentral areas of the earthquakes that occurred in central Italy between 2009 and 2018.
"These samplings made it possible to characterize the origin of the CO2 dissolved in the water of the aquifers and to quantify the extent of the deep CO2", explains Carlo Cardellini, researcher in the Department of Physics and Geology of the University of Perugia, also in the team of researchers involved in the discovery.
“The close relationship between CO2 release and earthquake magnitude, together with the results of previous seismological surveys, indicates that the earthquakes in the Apennines recorded in the analyzed decade are associated with deep CO2 upwelling. It is interesting to underline the fact that the quantities of CO2 involved are of the same order as those emitted during volcanic eruptions (about 1,8 million tons)"Chiodini concludes.
The results of the study therefore provide evidence on how the fluids derived from plate melting in the mantle play an important role in the genesis of earthquakes, opening new horizons in the assessment of CO2 emissions on a global scale. Finally, this work demonstrates and recalls how the modern study of earthquakes requires a multidisciplinary approach in which to integrate geochemical, geophysical and geodynamic data.
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Discovered a correlation between earthquakes and carbon dioxide in the Apennines
The analysis of ten years of sampling of CO2 dissolved in the groundwaters of the Apennines showed its maximum concentration during intense seismic activity
In the Apennine chain, the emission of CO2 of deep origin appears to be well correlated with the occurrence and evolution of the seismic sequences of the last decade. This is the result of the study 'Correlation between tectonic CO2 Earth degassing and seismicity is revealed by a ten-year record in the Apennines, Italy' conducted by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV, Italy) and the University of Perugia (UNIPG, Italy) just published in 'Science Advances'.
"For the first time an analysis of geochemical and geophysical data collected from 2009 to 2018 was carried out", explains Giovanni Chiodini, INGV researcher and coordinator of the study. "Results of this research have shown a correspondence between deep CO2 emissions and seismicity. In periods of intense seismic activity, peaks in the deep CO2 flux are observed, meanwhile they dampen when the seismic energy and the number of earthquakes decrease".
The Earth releases CO2 of deep origin mainly from volcanoes, although these emissions also occur in seismic areas where there are no active volcanoes. In particular, this phenomenon is more intense in regions characterized by extensional tectonics, such as the area of the Apennines.
“Although the temporal relationships between the occurrence of a seismic event and the release of CO2 are not yet fully understood", continues Chiodini, "In this study we hypothesize that the evolution of seismicity in the Apennines is modulated by the rise of CO2 accumulated in crustal reservoirs and produced by the partial melting of the plate subducting beneath the mountain chain".
The continuous large-scale production of CO2 at depth favors the formation of overpressurized reservoirs. “Seismicity in mountain ranges”, add Francesca Di Luccio and Guido Ventura, INGV researchers and co-authors of the study, "could be related to the depressurization of these reservoirs and the consequent release of fluids which, in turn, activate the faults responsible for earthquakes".
The study was conducted by sampling the high-flow rate springs (tens of thousands of liters per second) located in the vicinity of the epicentral areas of the earthquakes that occurred in central Italy between 2009 and 2018. "These samplings allowed us to characterize the origin of the dissolved CO2 in the water of the aquifers and to quantify the amount of the dissolved deep CO2", explains Carlo Cardellini, researcher of the Department of Physics and Geology of the University of Perugia, co-author of the discovery.
"The close relationship between the CO2 release and the number and magnitude of the earthquakes, along with the results of previous seismological surveys, indicate that the earthquakes in the Apennines occurred in the last decade are associated with the rise of deeply derived CO2. It is worth mentioning that the amount of CO2 involved is of the same order as that emitted during volcanic eruptions (approximately 1.8 million tons in ten years)”Chiodini concludes.
Therefore, the results of the study provide evidence on how the fluids derived from the decarbonation of a subducting plate play an important role in the genesis of earthquakes, opening new horizons in the assessment of CO2 emissions at global scale. Finally, this work demonstrates and supports how the modern study of earthquakes requires a multidisciplinary approach in which geochemical, geophysical and geodynamic data need to be integrated.
Strong CO2 emission associated with rising water (San Vittorino plain, Rieti).
The emission is located about 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the L'Aquila earthquake of April 2009.
Strong free CO2 emission associated with groundwater discharge (San Vittorino plain, Rieti).
The emission is located about 30 km far from the epicenter of the April 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
The Apennine earthquakes in the period 2007-2019 (including the catastrophic events of 2009 and 2016) were accompanied by evident peaks in the amount of CO2 transported by the large sources in the Apennines (tonnes per day of CO2 in the graph).
The Apennine earthquakes during 2007-2019 (including the destructive events of 2009 and 2016) were accompanied by evident peaks in the amount of CO2 dissolved and transported by the large Apennine water springs (tons per day of CO2 in the diagram).