Sources of water used by natural mesquite vegetation in a semi-arid region of northern Mexico

Abstract

Vegetation structure in semi-arid regions of northern Mexico and the southwestern USA has changed dramatically over the last century; shrubs such as mesquite (Prosopis sp.) have expanded into, and have become dominant in, ecosystems that once supported semi-arid grassland. The upper San Pedro River watershed, which extends from northern Sonora (Mexico) to southeastern Arizona (USA), highlights these changes. Between 1973 and 1992, grasslands decreased by 18% and the total area dominated by mesquite increased during the same period by 412%. In the areas where the density of mesquite shrub is medium to high, grass has completely disappeared under the shrub canopy and has been replaced by bare soil. Undoubtedly these cover changes have affected surface—atmosphere interactions by introducing a different partitioning of net available energy into sensible and latent heat flux. At the same time, different root system and root density and plant physiology have introduced a change to the surface water balance, reducing inflitration and increasing runoff. Our study addressed the sources of water used by mesquite (Prosopis velutina) along a natural gradient from an area of high mesquite cover with no herbaceous grass cover, to open savanna with high grass cover and widely spaced mesquite. The presented results from the SALSA 1997 monsoon-season campaign (July—October) show that mesquite shrubs that have access to both ground-water and surface water use surface water when available, potentially competing with grass for surface water and out-competing grass during successive periods of drought when only groundwater is available.     

Model estimates of runoff in the closed,semiarid Estancia basin,central New Mexico,USA

Abstract

The 5000 km² topographically closed Estancia basin in central New Mexico has been the focus of several palaeoclimatic studies based on changes in the level of late Pleistocene Lake Estancia. A large, unknown volume of surface runoff and groundwater from adjacent mountains contributed to the hydrological balance during highstands and lowstands. The US Department of Agriculture hydrological model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and the US Geological Survey groundwater flow model MODFLOW, with the LAK2 package, were used in this study to estimate runoff and water balance under present climate. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) interface was used for SWAT, digitized data were applied for soils and vegetation, and limited streamflow data were used to obtain an approximate calibration for the model. Simulated streamflow is generally within 30% of observed values, and simulated runoff for the entire basin is about 8% of the annual inflow volume needed to support lowstands of the former Lake Estancia. Results from the combined models suggest application to other palaeoclimate investigations in semiarid lake basins.     

Groundwater geochemistry of the Chihuahua City region in the Rio Conchos Basin (northern Mexico) and implications for water resources management

The Chihuahua City region, located in the semiarid-arid northern highlands of Mexico, has experienced intensive groundwater abstraction during the last 40 years to meet water demands in the region. A geochemical survey was carried out to investigate the evolution from baseline to modern conditions of a 130-km flow path including the El Sauz–Chihuahua–Aldama–San Diego de Alcalá regions. The research approach included the use of major chemical elements, chlorofluorocarbons and environmental isotope (¹⁸O, ²H, ¹³C and ¹⁴C) tracers. Stable isotopes indicate that groundwater evolves from the evaporation of local rainfall and surface water. Groundwater located at the lower end of the flow section is up to 6000 years old and older groundwater in the order of 9000 years BP was found in a deep well located in the upper part of the flow system, implying contribution from a neighbour basin. The background groundwater chemistry upstream of Chihuahua City results from feldspar weathering. Beyond Chihuahua City the chemical conditions are strongly modified owing to disposal of sewage from public and industrial water supplies into the Rio Chuviscar, subsequent allocation of this water to agricultural irrigation areas and direct infiltration under the river bed. As a consequence, anions like chloride and sulphate are mainly related to surface sources. Nitrate is controlled in part by sewage from public supply and industry and in part by agricultural practices. Arsenic and fluoride are related to weathering of rock formations of local mineralized ranges and subsequent enrichment of the basin-fill by magmatic processes. The results of this study have implications for groundwater management in an arid region that depends entirely on groundwater for domestic, industrial and agricultural water consumption. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microbial food web contributions to bottom water hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Nutrients from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya Rivers greatly stimulate biological production in the ‘classical’ food web on the inner shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Portions of this production, especially large diatoms and zooplankton fecal pellets, sink and decompose in the bottom water, consuming oxygen and contributing to the annual development of an extensive zone of bottom water hypoxia, typically >15,000 km² since 1993. The microbial food web is also active in the Mississippi River plume, but consists of small organisms that sink slowly. This ‘recycling’ food web has not been considered as a significant contributor to vertical flux and hypoxia. However, gelatinous zooplankton, especially pelagic appendicularians such as Oikopleura dioica, mediate the conversion of microbial web organisms to organic particles with high sinking rates. When pelagic appendicularians are abundant in coastal regions of the northern Gulf of Mexico, they stimulate the rapid vertical transfer of microbial web productivity in the surface layer, which is only 5–15 m thick in the coastal hypoxic region, to the sub-pycnocline layer that becomes hypoxic each summer. In this paper we present results from two studies examining the significance of this pathway. In both 2002 and 2004, we observed high production rates of appendicularians in coastal waters. Discarded gelatinous houses and fecal pellets from the appendicularian populations often provided more than 1 g m⁻² d⁻¹ of organic carbon for the establishment and maintenance of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This source of organic matter flux is especially important in regions far from the river plumes and during periods of low river discharge. Autotrophic elements of this food web are primarily supported by recycled inorganic nutrients originating in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. Sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) supporting the heterotrophic components of this microbial food web may include in situ production, the Mississippi/Atchafalaya Rivers, and Louisiana's coastal wetlands. If significant, the latter source provides a possible link between Louisiana's high rates of coastal land loss and the large hypoxic zone observed along the coast during summer. Both of the latter DOM sources are independent of phytoplankton production stimulated by inputs of riverine inorganic nutrients.     

Late Pleistocene flank collapse of Zempoala volcano (Central Mexico) and the role of fault reactivation

Zempoala is an extinct Pleistocene (∼ 0.7–0.8 Ma) stratovolcano that together with La Corona volcano (∼ 0.9 Ma) forms the southern end of the Sierra de las Cruces volcanic range, Central Mexico. The volcano consists of andesitic and dacitic lava flows and domes, as well as pyroclastic and epiclastic sequences, and has had a complex history with several flank collapses. One of these collapses occurred during the late Pleistocene on the S–SE flank of the volcano and produced the Zempoala debris avalanche deposit. This collapse could have been triggered by the reactivation of two normal fault systems (E–W and NE–SW), although magmatic activity cannot be absolutely excluded. The debris avalanche traveled 60 km to the south, covers an area of 600 km² and has a total volume of 6 km³, with a calculated Heim coefficient (H/L) of 0.03. Based on the textural characteristics of the deposit we recognized three zones: proximal, axial, and lateral distal zone. The proximal zone consists of debris avalanche blocks that develop a hummocky topography; the axial zone corresponds with the main debris avalanche deposit made of large clasts set in a sandy matrix, which transformed to a debris flow in the lateral distal portion. The deposit is heterolithologic in composition, with dacitic and andesitic fragments from the old edifice that decrease in volume as bulking of exotic clasts from the substratum increase. Several cities (Cuernavaca, Jojutla de Juárez, Alpuyeca) with associated industrial, agricultural, and tourism activities have been built on the deposit, which pose in evidence the possible impact in case of a new event with such characteristics, since the area is still tectonically active.     

Baseline heavy metals and metalloid values in blood of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Baja California Sur, Mexico

Environmental pollution due to heavy metals is having an increased impact on marine wildlife accentuated by anthropogenic changes in the planet including overfishing, agricultural runoff and marine emerging infectious diseases. Sea turtles are considered sentinels of ecological health in marine ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine baseline concentrations of zinc, cadmium, copper, nickel, selenium, manganese, mercury and lead in blood of 22 clinically healthy, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), captured for several reasons in Puerto López Mateos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Zinc was the most prevalent metal in blood (41.89 μg g⁻¹), followed by Selenium (10.92 μg g⁻¹). The mean concentration of toxic metal Cadmium was 6.12 μg g⁻¹ and 1.01 μg g⁻¹ respectively. Mean concentrations of metals followed this pattern: Zn > Se > Ni > Cu > Mn > Cd > Pb and Hg. We can conclude that blood is an excellent tissue to measure in relatively non-invasive way baseline values of heavy metals in Caretta caretta.     

Intra-arc opening and closure of a marginal sea: The case of the Guerrero Terrane (SW Mexico)

Abstract The pre-Oligocene structure of southwest Mexico, south of the trans-Mexico volcanic axis, is investigated from Taxco (Guerrero state, abbreviation: Gro) to the Pacific coast. Three volcano-sedimentary units are recognized; from east to west the calc-alkaline Teloloapan, tholeiitic Arcelia and calc-alkaline Zihuatanejo suites. Structural and stratigraphic data show that the Teloloapan volcanic arc, active during ?Late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, was built upon continental basement. The Teloloapan lavas are overlain by the Albian–Cenomanian Morelos platform carbonates and followed by the Upper Cretaceous Mexcala flysch. In contrast, the Arcelia pillow lavas are associated with sandstones and cherts of Albian-?Cenomanian age. The Zihuatanejo arc was also installed upon continental basement and its magmatic activity was in part coeval with Arcelia magmatism. Unlike the almost undeformed Zihuatanejo volcanic rocks, all the other volcanic units are involved in east-vergent thrusting and recumbent folding associated with ductile tectonics, as well as the Late Cretaceous Mexcala flysch overlying the Morelos platform carbonates. Contrasting with previous views, the present results do not support a major mid-Cretaceous thrusting event in the study area. The new geodynamic interpretation proposed here considers that the Arcelia rocks were formed in a marginal basin situated east of the Zihuatanejo arc. Closure of this basin in Paleocene times is responsible for the east vergent thrust tectonics in SW Mexico.     

Bottom topography,recent sedimentation and water volume of the Cerro Prieto Dam,NE Mexico

The Cerro Prieto dam, a relatively small water reservoir in NE Mexico, is one of the main resources of potable water for Monterrey, a city with a population of about four million inhabitants. A high resolution seismic study using non-linear parametric sub-bottom echo-sounder SES-2000 was carried out in this water reservoir. High resolution acoustic data interpretation shows that the thickness of recent sediments due to siltation of the reservoir reaches 3.5-4.0 m. It shows a high recent sedimentation rate (1-2 up to 14 cm/ year). Based on the echo-sounder data, the first bathymetric map and a digital model of recent sediment thickness were designed. A significant (5-12%) difference between the volume capacity value used by National Commission of Water (CNA) and acoustic survey results was revealed. Differences between the CNA and acoustic data indicate storage losses from 12-17 up to 30 million cubic meters. The results obtained through study such as this one, could be useful to improve a water resources management.     

Aftershocks of the San Marcos earthquake of April 25, 1989 (M S =6.9) and some implications for the Acapulco-San Marcos,Mexico, seismic potential

Aftershock activity following the April 25, 1989 (M _S =6.9) earthquake near San Marcos, Guerrero, Mexico, was monitored by a temporary network installed twelve hours after the mainshock and remaining in operation for one week. Of the 350 events recorded by this temporary array, 103 were selected for further analysis in order to determine spatial characteristics of the aftershock activity. An aftershock area of approximately 780 km² is delimited by the best quality locations. The area of highest aftershock density lies inside an area delimited by the aftershocks of the latest large event in the region in 1957 (M _S =7.5) and it partially overlaps the zone of maximum intensity of the earlier 1907 (M _S =7.7) shock. Aftershocks also appear to cluster close to the mainshock hypocenter. This clustering agrees with the zone of maximum slip during the mainshock, as previously determined from strong motion records. A low angle Benioff zone is defined by the aftershock hypocenters with a slight tendency for the slab to follow a subhorizontal trajectory after a 110 km distance from the trench axis, a feature which has been observed in the neighboring Guerrero Gap. A composite focal mechanism for events close to the mainshock which also coincides with the zone of largest aftershock density, indicates a thrust fault similar to the mainshock fault plane solution.The San Marcos event took place in an area which could be considered as a mature seismic gap. Due to the manner in which strain release has been observed to previously occur, the occurrence of a major event, overlapping both the neighboring Guerrero Gap and the San Marcos Gap segments of the Mexican thrust, cannot be overlooked.     

Site effects in Mexico City: Constraints from surface wave inversion of shallow refraction data

In order to understand and simulate site effects on strong ground motion records of recent earthquakes in Mexico City, it is fundamental to determine the in situ elastic and anelastic properties of the shallow stratigraphy of the basin. The main properties of interest are the shear wave velocities and Q-quality factors and their correlation with similar parameters in zones of the city. Despite population density and paved surfaces, it is feasible to gather shallow refraction data to obtain laterally homogeneous subsoil structures at some locations. We focused our analysis in the Texcoco Lake region of the northeastern Mexico City basin. This area consists of unconsolidated clay sediments, similar to those of the lake bed zone in Mexico City, where ground motion amplification and long duration disturbances are commonly observed. We recorded Rayleigh and Love waves using explosive and sledgehammer sources and 4.5 Hz vertical and horizontal geophones, respectively. Additionally, for the explosive source, we recorded three-component seismograms using 1 Hz seismometers. We obtained phase velocity dispersion curves from ray parameter-frequency domain analyses and inverted them for vertical distribution of S wave velocity. The initial model was obtained from a standard first-break refraction analysis. We also obtained an estimation of the Q_S shear wave quality factor for the uppermost stratigraphy. Results compare well with tilt and cone penetrometer resistance measurements at the same test site, emphasizing the importance of these studies for engineering purposes.     

PAHs distribution in sediments associated with gas hydrate and oil seepage from the Gulf of Mexico

Six sediment samples collected from the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed. Total concentrations of the PAHs ranged from 52 to 403 ng g⁻¹ dry weight. The lowest PAH concentration without 5–6 rings PAHs appeared in S-1 sample associated with gas hydrate or gas venting. Moreover, S-1 sample had the lowest organic carbon content with 0.85% and highest reduced sulfur level with 1.21% relative to other samples. And, analysis of the sources of PAHs in S-1 sample indicated that both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources, converserly, while S-8, S-10 and S-11 sample suggested petrogenic origin. The distribution of dibenzothiophene, fluorine and dibenzofuran and the maturity parameters of triaromatic steranes suggested that organic matters in S-1 sample were different from that in S-8, S-10 and S-11 sample. This study suggested that organic geochemical data could help in distinguish the characteristic of sediment associated with gas hydrate or with oil seepage.     

Total and labile metals in surface sediments of the tropical river-estuary system of Marabasco (Pacific coast of Mexico): Influence of an iron mine

Marabasco is a tropical river-estuary system comprising the Marabasco river and the Barra de Navidad Lagoon. The river is impacted by the Pe?a Colorada iron mine, which produces 3.5 million tons of pellets per year. Thirteen surface sediment samples were collected in May 2005 (dry season) in order to establish background levels of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the system and to ascertain the potential mobility of metals in the sediments. Analyses were carried out in the fraction finer than 63 microm, and labile metals extracted according the BCR procedure. Certified reference materials were used for validation of methods. Total concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were in the range of 0.05-0.34, 6-95, 0.7-31, 9-26, 2-18, and 53-179 mgkg(-1), respectively; Al and Fe ranges of 24-127, and 26-69 mgg(-1) correspondingly. Cadmium was found to be significantly labile in the sediments (20-100%), followed by Co (0-35%), Ni (3-16%) and Zn (0-25%), whereas the labile fraction for Cu, Fe and Pb was almost negligible (<4%). According with the total metal concentrations, background levels and normalised enrichment factors (NEF) of the metals studied, the impact of the Pe?a Colorada iron mine on the Marabasco system is lower than expected when compared with other similar World systems influenced by mining activities.     

The Ba/Ca record of corals from the Southern Gulf of Mexico: Contributions from land-use changes, fluvial discharge and oil-drilling muds

The Ba/Ca in the growth bands of Montastraea faveolata from the Veracruz Reef System was used to reconstruct the long-term environmental change associated to anthropogenic activity in the Southern Gulf of Mexico (SGM). The 168-yr coral record shows two periods of distinct Ba concentrations: a pre-industrial period (1835-1965: 7.54 μmol/mol) followed by an industrial one (1966-2000: 8.57 μmol/mol). As human population quadrupoled during the latter, sediment load in the fluvial discharge also increased due to changes in land-use, yielding a 14% increase in the Ba-levels. A remarkable finding is that the periods at which the coral Ba/Ca ratio losses its correlation with fluvial discharge coincide exactly with peak periods of high barite consumption (used for oil drilling) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, and the onset of oil drilling in the SGM. This finding suggests that barite may be one of the dominant sources for dissolved-Ba in the SGM.     

Differences in life table demography among eight geographic populations of Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) from China

Eight geographic populations of Brachionus calyciflorus collected from China in August 2007 were cultured at 18 °C, 23 °C and 28 °C with 3.0×10⁶ cells mL⁻¹ of alga Scenedesmus obliquus to investigate their differences in life table demography. The results showed that the response in each of the life table demographic parameters (age-specific survivorship and fecundity, life expectancy at hatching, generation time, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of population increase and proportion of sexual offspring) to increasing temperature differed with geographic population. Life expectancy at hatching, generation time, net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of population increase were all significantly influenced by temperature, geographic population and their interaction and indirectly affected by the changes in body size and egg volume of the rotifers; however, the proportion of sexual offspring produced by the rotifers was markedly influenced only by geographic population. Among all the combinations of temperature and geographic population, the generation times of Guangzhou and Hainan populations at 18 °C were the longest, and the intrinsic rate of population increase of the Tai’an population at 18 °C was the lowest. Among all the eight geographic populations, the proportion of sexual offspring produced by Xuzhou population was the highest. Although the higher proportions of sexual offspring produced by all the geographic populations of rotifers (9.7-41.1%) might lead to higher resting egg productions, and thus to wide spread of the rotifers among the eight geographic populations, their differences in life table demography might be regarded as the results of adaptation to the different environmental conditions faced by them in the field.     

Modelling investigation of water partitioning at a semiarid ponderosa pine hillslope

The effects of vegetation root distribution on near‐surface water partitioning can be two‐fold. On the one hand, the roots facilitate deep percolation by root‐induced macropore flow; on the other hand, they reduce the potential for deep percolation by root‐water‐uptake processes. Whether the roots impede or facilitate deep percolation depends on various conditions, including climate, soil, and vegetation characteristics. This paper examines the effects of root distribution on deep percolation into the underlying permeable bedrock for a given soil profile and climate condition using HYDRUS modelling. The simulations were based on previously field experiments on a semiarid ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) hillslope. An equivalent single continuum model for simulating root macropore flow on hillslopes is presented, with root macropore hydraulic parameterization estimated based on observed root distribution. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that the root macropore effect dominates saturated soil water flow in low conductivity soils (K_matrix below 10^?7 m/s), while it is insignificant in soils with a K_matrix larger than 10^?5 m/s, consistent with observations in this and other studies. At the ponderosa pine site, the model with simple root‐macropore parameterization reasonably well reproduces soil moisture distribution and some major runoff events. The results indicate that the clay‐rich soil layer without root‐induced macropores acts as an impeding layer for potential groundwater recharge. This impeding layer results in a bedrock percolation of less than 1% of the annual precipitation. Without this impeding layer, percolation into the underlying permeable bedrock could be as much as 20% of the annual precipitation. This suggests that at a surface with low‐permeability soil overlying permeable bedrock, the root penetration depth in the soil is critical condition for whether or not significant percolation occurs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total nitrogen inflow and outflow from a large river swamp basin to the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

River corridor wetland restoration and freshwater diversion from the lower Mississippi River are being considered as two major options to reduce nitrogen input to the Gulf of Mexico. However, it is largely uncertain how much nitrogen can actually be retained from the overflowing waters by these wetland systems. This study quantified the nitrogen inflow and outflow for the largest distributary basin of the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya River Swamp basin. The goal of the study was to seek answers to three critical questions: (a) Does the Atchafalaya River Swamp remove a significant amount of nitrogen from the overflowing water, or is it releasing more nitrogen into the Gulf? (b) How do the nitrogen removal or release rates fluctuate seasonally and annually? (c) What are the relationships between the nitrogen removal capacity and the hydrological conditions in the basin such as river stage and discharge? By utilizing the long-term (1978–2002) river discharge and water quality data, monthly and annual nitrogen fluxes were quantified, and their relationships with the basin hydrological conditions investigated. A total nitrogen—sum of the total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen (NO₃+NO₂)—mass input—output balance between the upstream (Simmesport) and downstream (Morgan City and Wax Lake Outlet) locations was established to examine the nitrogen removal potential for this, the largest freshwater swamp basin in North America. The results from this study showed that, over the past 25 years, the Atchafalaya River Swamp basin acted as a source for NO₃+NO₂ nitrogen, although the average annual output of NO₃+NO₂ nitrogen (174 584 Mg) was only slightly higher (2.3%) than the average annual input of NO₃+NO₂ nitrogen (170 721 Mg). The higher NO₃+NO₂ mass outflow occurred throughout summer and autumn, indicating an active role of biological processes on nitrogen in the overflowing waters of the Atchafalaya. However, this swamp basin has served as a major sink for organic nitrogen: the annual averages of TKN mass input and output were 200 323 and 145 917 Mg year^?1, respectively, presenting a 27.2% removal rate by the basin. This large TKN reduction appeared high during springs and low during late summers, corresponding with the fluctuation of the hydrological conditions of the river.     

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) in some volcanic mountain ranges of the West Carpathians (Slovakia) and the impact of human activities

44 stonefly species were recorded in the Pol'ana mountains (Central Slovakia). A typical representative of the west-east fauna, Rhabdiopteryx navicula, was found. The Hučava stream basin represents the southern border of the montane and submontane distribution of stonefly species, which are bound to the river basins in high and central mountain regions of the West Carpathians. Six characteristic associations of stoneflies were recorded. Shredders predominated in the upper, and scrapers and collectors in the lower section of the Hučava stream. Detritivores were more abundant in the gravel-to-sandy mesohabitat, whereas predators and scrapers prevailed in rocky mesohabitat. Total annual production was low — 340.4 g · m⁻² (dry weight), though being three-times higher in the rocky mesohabitat than in the gravel-to-sandy mesohabitat. The annual P/B ratio of stoneflies reached 3.3. Clear-cutting and operation of small hydropower stations were found to have a significant impact on the taxocoenoses of stoneflies.     

A possible case of Sporadic Aurora in 1843 from Mexico

In recent years, some authors have shown that some auroras can be observed at relatively low latitude when the geomagnetic activity is quiet or moderate. This very special type of aurora is called “sporadic aurora”. We present and analyze in this work a possible case of “sporadic aurora” observed in Mexico on the 19 April 1843. Moreover, we study the solar and auroral activity around this event.     

Geochemistry of water and gas discharges from the Mt. Amiata silicic complex and surrounding areas (central Italy)

The Mt. Amiata volcano in central Italy is intimately related to the post-orogenic magmatic activity which started in Pliocene times. Major, trace elements, and isotopic composition of thermal and cold spring waters and gas manifestations indicate the occurrence of three main reservoir of the thermal and cold waters in the Mt. Amiata region. The deepest one is located in an extensive carbonate reservoir buried by thick sequences of low-permeability allochthonous and neo-autochthonous formations. Thermal spring waters discharging from this aquifer have a neutral Ca-SO₄ composition due to the presence of anhydrite layers at the base of the carbonate series and, possibly, to absorption of deep-derived H₂S with subsequent oxidation to SO₄²⁻ in a system where pH is buffered by the calcite–anhydrite pair (Marini and Chiodini, 1994). Isotopic signature of these springs and N₂-rich composition of associated gas phases suggest a clear local meteoric origin of the feeding waters, and atmospheric O₂ may be responsible for the oxidation of H₂S. The two shallower aquifers have different chemical features. One is Ca-HCO₃ in composition and located in several sedimentary formations above the Mesozoic carbonates. The other one has a Na-Cl composition and is hosted in marine sediments filling many post-orogenic NW–SE-trending basins. Strontium, Ba, F, and Br contents have been used to group waters associated with each aquifer. Although circulating to some extent in the same carbonate reservoir, the deep geothermal fluids at Latera and Mt. Amiata and thermal springs discharging from their outcropping areas have different composition: Na-Cl and Ca-SO₄ type, respectively. Considering the high permeability of the reservoir rock, the meteoric origin of thermal springs and the two different composition of the thermal waters, self-sealed barriers must be present at the boundaries of the geothermal systems. The complex hydrology of the reservoir rocks greatly affects the reliability of geothermometers in liquid phase, which understimate the real temperatures of the discovered geothermal fields. More reliable temperatures are envisaged by using gas composition-based geothermometers. Bulk composition of the 67 gas samples studied seems to be the result of a continuous mixing between a N₂-rich component of meteoric origin related to the Ca-SO₄ aquifer and a deep CO₂-rich component rising largely along the boundaries of the geothermal systems. Nitrogen-rich gas samples have nearly atmospheric N₂/Ar (=83) and

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(δ=0‰) ratios whereas CO₂-rich samples show anomalously high

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values (up to +6.13 ‰), likely related to N₂ from metamorphic schists lying below the carbonate formations. On the basis of average

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isotopic ratio (

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around 0‰), CO₂ seems to originate mainly from thermometamorphic reactions in the carbonate reservoir and/or in carbonate layers embedded in the underlying metamorphic basement. Distribution of

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isotopic ratios indicates a radiogenic origin of helium in a tectonic environment that, in spite of the presence of many post-orogenic basins and mantle-derived magmatics, can presently be considered in a compressive phase.