Article on the Geochemical characterization of the Nirano mud volcano, Italy

The following co-authored manuscript has been accepted for publication in Applied Geochemistry:

  • Sciarra, A., Cantucci, B., Ricci, T., Tomonaga, Y., & Mazzini, A. (2019). Geochemical characterization of the Nirano mud volcano, Italy. Appl. Geochem., doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.01.006.

In this work soil gas geochemistry and exhalation fluxes were determined in the Nirano mud volcano field. Soil degassing shows two high emission zones controlled by a buried tectonic system of caldera collapse structures. Gas discharged from active gryphons is methane-dominated with a thermogenic signature suggesting a deep source. The dissolved noble-gas signature in the discharged mud highlights secondary exchange at depth of few kilometers supporting deep origin. Soil gas monitoring allowed to detect the areas with the major potential for the formation of new gryphons.

Here you can download the manuscript for free until March 20th, 2019.