Determination of characteristics of steam reservoirs by Radon-222 measurements in geothermal fluids

The authors conducted a Rn²²² survey in wells of the Larderello geothermal field (Italy) and observed considerable variations in concentrations. Simple models show that flow-rate plays an important part in the Rn²²² content of each well, as it directly affects the fluid transit time in the reservoirs. Rn²²² has been sampled from two wells of the Serrazzano area during flow-rate drawdown tests. The apparent volume of the steam reservoir of each of these two wells has been estimated from the Rn²²² concentration versus flow-rate curves.List of symbols Q Flow-rate (kg h^–1) - Decay constant of Rn²²² (=7.553×10^–3 h^–1) - Porosity of the reservoir (volume of fluid/volume of rock) - ₁ Density of the fluid in the reservoir (kg m^–3) - ₂ Density of the rock in the reservoir (kg m^–3) - M Stationary mass of fluid filling the reservoir (kg). - E Emanating power of the rock in the reservoir (nCi kg _rock ^–1 h^–1). - P Production rate of Rn²²² in the reservoir: number of atoms of Rn²²² (divided by 1.764×10⁷) transferred by the rock to the mass unit of fluid per unit time (nCi kg _fluid ^–1 h^–1). - N Specific concentration of Rn²²² in the fluid (nCi kg^–1) - Characteristic time of the steam reservoir at maximum flow-rate (=M/Q)     

Evolution of Pangea: paleomagnetic constraints from the Southern Alps, Italy

A new early Late Triassic paleopole for Adria has been obtained from the Val Sabbia Sandstone in the Southern Alps. As Early Permian and Jurassic-Cretaceous paleomagnetic data from para-autochthonous regions of Adria such as the Southern Alps are consistent with ‘African’ APWPs[1–2], paleomagnetic data from this region can be used to bolster the West Gondwana APWP in the poorly known Late Permian-Triassic time interval. The Southern Alpine paleopoles are integrated with the West Gondwana and Laurussia APWPs of Van der Voo [1] and used to generate a tectonic model for the evolution of Pangea. The Early Permian overall mean paleopole for West Gondwana and Adria, in conjunction with the coeval Laurussia paleopole, support Pangea B of Morel and Irving [3]. The Late Permian/Early Triassic and the Middle/Late Triassic paleopoles from Adria and Laurussia support Pangea A-2 of Van der Voo and French [4]. The phase of transcurrent motion between Laurasia and Gondwana[5] that caused the Pangea B to A-2 transition occurred essentially in the Permian (at the end of Variscan orogeny) with an average relative velocity of approximately 10 cm/yr. Finally, the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic paleopoles from West Gondwana and Laurussia agree with Pangea A-1 of Bullard et al. [6], the widely accepted Pangea configuration at the time of the Jurassic breakup.     

The San Venanzo maar and tuff ring,Umbria, Italy: eruptive behaviour of a carbonatite-melilitite volcano

The late Pleistocene San Venanzo maar and nearby Pian di Celle tuff ring in the San Venanzo area of Umbria, central Italy, appear to represent different aspects of an eruptive cycle accompanied by diatreme formation. Approximately 6x10⁶ m³ of mostly lapillisized, juvenile ejecta with lesser amounts of lithics and 1x10⁶ m³ of lava were erupted. The stratigraphy indicates intense explosive activity followed by lava flows and subvolcanic intrusions. The pyroclastic material includes lithic breccia derived from vent and diatreme wall erosion, roughly stratified lapilli tuff deposited by concentrated pyroclastic surge, chaotic scoriaceous pyroclastic flow and inverse graded grain-flow deposits. The key feature of the pyroclastics is the presence of concentric-shelled lapilli generated by accretion around the lithics during magma ascent in the diatreme conduits. The rock types range from kalsilite leucite olivine melilitite lavas and subvolcanic intrusions to carbonatite, phonolite and calcitic melilitite pyroclasts. Juvenile ejecta contain essential calcite whose composition and texture indicate a magmatic origin. Pyroclastic carbonatite activity is also indicated by the presence of carbonatite ash beds. The San Venanzo maar-forming event is believed to have been trigered by fluid-rich carbonatite-phonolite magma. The eruptive centre the moved to the Pian di Celle tuff ring, where the eruption of degassed olivine melilititic magma and late intrusions ended magmatic activity in the area. In both volcanoes the absence of phreatomagmatic features together with the presence of large amounts of primary calcite suggests carbonatite segregation and violent exsolution of CO₂ which, flowing through the diatremes, produced the peculiar intrusive pyroclastic facies and triggered explosions.     

Late Quaternary deformation on the island on Pantelleria: New constraints for the recent tectonic evolution of the Sicily Channel Rift (southern Italy)

Structural observations carried out on the volcanic Island of Pantelleria show that the tectonic setting is dominated by NNE trending normal faults and by NW-striking right-lateral strike-slip faults with normal component of motion controlled by a ≈N 100°E oriented extension. This mode of deformation also controls the development of the eruptive fissures, dykes and eruptive centres along NNE–SSW belts that may thus represent the surface response to crustal cracking with associated magma intrusions. Magmatic intrusions are also responsible for the impressive vertical deformations that affect during the Late Quaternary the south-eastern segment of the island and producing a large dome within the Pantelleria caldera complex. The results of the structural analysis carried out on the Island of Pantelleria also improves the general knowledge on the Late Quaternary tectonics of the entire Sicily Channel. ESE–WNW directed extension, responsible for both the tectonic and volcano-tectonic features of the Pantelleria Island, also characterizes, at a greater scale, the entire channel as shown by available geodetic and seismological data. This mode of extension reactivates the older NW–SE trending fault segments bounding the tectonic troughs of the Channel as right-lateral strike-slip faults and produces new NNE trending pure extensional features (normal faulting and cracking) that preferentially develop at the tip of the major strike-slip fault zones. We thus relate the Late Quaternary volcanism of the Pelagian Block magmatism to dilatational strain on the NNE-striking extensional features that develop on the pre-existing stretched area and propagate throughout the entire continental crust linking the already up-welled mantle with the surface.     

Travel-time residuals and three-dimensional velocity structure of Italy

Jeffreys-Bullen P and PKP travel-time residuals observed at more than 50 seismic stations distributed along Italy and surrounding areas in the time interval 1962–1979, indicate the complex velocity pattern of this region. Strong lateral velocity inhomogeneities and low velocity zones are required to explain the observed pattern of residuals. In particular, late arrivals of about 1 sec are observed in the Apenninic mountain range, requiring both greater crustal thickness and low velocity layers, coherent with seismic refraction data and surface wave dispersion measurements. The seismic stations located in the Western and Eastern Alps indicate the presence of high velocities. In the Western Alps the strong azimuthal variation of residuals and the high values of early arrivals have a close relationship to the Ivrea body, an intrusive crustal complex characterized by a velocity as high as 7–7.2 km/sec.A travel-time inversion performed with theAki et al. (1977) block model, confirms the peculiar characteristics and the sharp variations in the lithosphere of the whole Italian region, with values of velocity perturbations between many adjacent blocks, ranging in size from 50 to 100 km, and independent from the earth parametrization chosen, reaching values up to 10% in the lithospheric part and 5% in the asthenosphere. 3-D inversion requires also high velocity along the Tyrrhenian coastal margin, equivalent to an uprise of major crustal and lithospheric discontinuities along this part of the Italian peninsula. Moreover low velocity material must be present in the northern part of the Adriatic foreland, in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system, closely related to the stress and seismicity pattern, and the lateral bending of the lithosphere in the same region.     

Macroseismic estimates of magnitude in Italy

A multi-parametric study of empirical relationships between macroseismic data and magnitude is presented for the Italian region by the analysis of a new extended data set concerning 146 earthquakes. The available magnitude determinations include all of the most intense earthquakes which occurred in Italy in the last century and have been obtained by an accurate revision of original instrumental data. Intensity data have been revised and upgraded on the basis of the most recent studies: only local intensities directly documented have been used. Macroseismic determinations ofM _s ,m _B andM _wa magnitudes have been performed. The empirical relationships between maximum felt intensity (I _max ) and magnitude have been determined by the use of a distribution-free approach and a linear regression analysis. This last parameterization allows for the explanation of more than 60% of the variation in magnitude. In order to improve these results, the linear dependence between magnitude,I _max and average distances (in logarithm) corresponding to fixed attenuation values has been explored. The comparison between instrumental magnitudes and corresponding macroseismic estimates obtained from empirical relationships shows that the respective uncertainties are comparable.     

Ar/Ar and C geochronology of the Albano maar deposits: Implications for defining the age and eruptive style of the most recent explosive activity at Colli Albani Volcanic District,Central Italy

New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and ¹⁴C ages have been found for the Albano multiple maar pyroclastic units and underlying paleosols to document the most recent explosive activity in the Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) near Rome, Italy, consisting of seven eruptions (Albano 1 = oldest). Both dating methodologies have been applied on several proximal units and on four mid-distal fall/surge deposits, the latter correlated, according to two current different views, to either the Albano or the Campi di Annibale hydromagmatic center. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages on leucite phenocrysts from the mid-distal units yielded ages of ca. 72 ka, 73 ka, 41 ka and 36 ka BP, which are indistinguishable from the previously determined ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of the proximal Albano units 1, 2, 5 and 7, thus confirming their stratigraphic correspondence.     

Plio-Quaternary paleostresses in the Atlantic passive margin of the Moroccan Meseta: Influence of the Central Rif escape tectonics related to Eurasian-African plate convergence

The Atlantic Moroccan Meseta margin is affected by far field recent tectonic stresses. The basement belongs to the variscan orogen and was deformed by hercynian folding and metamorphism followed by a post-Permian erosional stage, producing the flat paleorelief of the region. Tabular Mesozoic and Mio-Plio-Quaternary deposits locally cover the Meseta, which has undergone recent uplift, while north of Rabat the subsidence continues in the Gharb basin, constituting the foreland basin of the Rif Cordillera.The Plio-Quaternary sedimentary cover of the Moroccan Meseta, mainly formed by aeolian and marine terraces deposits, is affected by brittle deformations (joints and small-scale faults) that evidence that this region – considered up to date as stable – is affected by the far field stresses. Striated faults are recognized in the oldest Plio-Quaternary deposits and show strike-slip and normal kinematics, while joints affect up to the most recent sediments.Paleostress may be sorted into extensional, only affecting Rabat sector, and three main compressive groups deforming whole the region: (1) ENE–WSW to ESE–WNW compression; (2) NNW–SSE to NE–SW compression and (3) NNE–SSW compression. These stresses can be attributed mainly to the NW–SE oriented Eurasian-African plate convergence in the western Mediterranean and the escape toward the SW of the Rif Cordillera. Local paleostress deviations may be related to basement fault reactivation. These new results reveal the tectonic instability during Plio-Quaternary of the Moroccan Meseta margin in contrast to the standard passive margins, generally considered stable.     

Seismic hazard assessment using intensity point data

The influence of the attenuation model used in seismic hazard assessment in terms of intensity and acceleration is studied. For two sites in central Italy, the catalogue of the actual observed intensities during the last three centuries has been recovered. In the study region, the data collected during a recent seismic sequence give the basis for relating intensity and acceleration. The results show the importance of establishing statistical relationships among the used quantities, based on a representative set of data.     

Characteristics of the low energy seismicity of central Apulia (southern Italy) and hazard implications

The central part of the Apulia region, in southern Italy, has been generally considered practically free from significant level of seismicity, but historical documentation, geological indicators and recent instrumental observations suggest that the activity of local minor tectonic structures could have been masked (and partly also induced) by that of major seismogenic structures located in the neighbouring regions. A revision of the central Apulia seismicity characteristics was conducted considering its space and time distribution, energy release rate and focal mechanisms, in view of possible hazard implications. To better constrain the seismicity rates inferable from the set of available historical data, special attention was paid to the declustering of a catalogue of low energy events (magnitude < 3.5) instrumentally detected in about 20 years: a new declustering procedure, useful for cases like to the one at hand, was purposely devised taking into account the peculiarity of local seismicity characteristics and the limitations of the available database. The results obtained by combining instrumental and historical data show that this area is affected by a rather sporadic seismicity, likely associated to a general tensional regime and possibly stimulated by the interaction with Apenninic and northern Apulia seismogenic activity. Even though less energetic, the local seismicity contributes to increase the moderately damaging shaking probability due to the activity of seismic sources located in the near areas, so to justify the adoption of at least a minimum level of caution in relation to the local definition of seismic protection measures.