Figure 1 - uploaded by Vera Valenti
Content may be subject to copyright.
Geological-structural map of Sicily (modified after Bigi et al., 1992; Catalano, 2013; Catalano, Agate et al., 2013; Catalano, Valenti et al., 2013 and from geological maps compiled in the frame of the Vigor project (VIGOR website, 2013)). The inset A) shows the schematic structural map of the central Mediterranean (modified after Catalano, Agate et al., 2000; Catalano, Valenti et al., 2013; Ionian detailed data from Valenti, 2010;.see also the inset in the main map.The inset B) illustrates the main tectonic elements characterizing the collisional complex of Sicily: (1) the undeformed Pelagian-Iblean foreland, (2) the present-day foredeep; (3) the orogenic wedge: the Calabrian-Peloritani units(3a), the main FTB (3b-c) southwards buried by the Gela Thrust System (3d) in its turn partially covered by the Gela foredeep. BUPP: boundary of the Undeformed Pelagian Platform (after Catalano, Valenti et al., 2013).
Source publication
An integrated review of existing geological and geophysical data – partly acquired during oil and gas exploration – combined with new data provided by deep geothermal studies of selected key areas, was used for the 3D modeling and mapping of the top of the geothermal reservoir developed at a regional scale in Sicily (Central Mediterranean). The res...
Similar publications
An integrated review of existing geological and geophysical data – partly acquired during oil
and gas exploration – combined with new data provided by deep geothermal studies of selected
key areas, was used for the 3D modeling and mapping of the top of the geothermal reservoir
developed at a regional scale in Sicily (Central Mediterranean). The res...
We discuss here the evolution of vorticity and potential vorticity (PV) for
a bottom current crossing a marine channel in shallow-water approximation,
focusing on the effect of friction and mixing. The purpose of this research
is indeed to investigate the role of friction and vertical entrainment on
vorticity and PV spatial evolution in channels or...
We discuss here the evolution of vorticity and potential vorticity
(PV) for a bottom current crossing a marine channel in shallow-water
approximation, focusing on the effect of friction and mixing. We
argue that bottom current vorticity is prone to significant sign
changes and oscillations due to topographic effects when, in
particular, the current...
Citations
Sicily hosts many natural manifestations that include thermal waters, gas discharges and mud volcanoes. Due to the significant geodynamic and geological differences, the fluid discharges along a NE-WS–oriented transect that run from the Peloritani Mts. to the Sciacca Plain shows a large variability in water and gas chemical and isotopic compositions. The studied waters are characterized by Ca-HCO3, Ca(Mg)-SO4, Ca-Cl and Na-Cl compositions produced by distinct geochemical processes such as water-rock-gas interactions, mixing between deep and shallow aquifers and seawater and direct and reverse ion exchanges. The gas chemistry is dominated by CO2 to the east and CO2-N2 to the west of the study area, whereas the central part shows mud volcanoes discharging CH4-rich gases. Water isotopes suggest that the thermal waters are fed by a meteoric recharge, although isotopic exchange processes between thermal fluids and host rocks at temperature >150°C are recognized. Accordingly, liquid geothermometry suggests equilibrium temperatures up to 220°C. The carbon in CO2 and helium isotopes of the emissions from the westernmost sector of Sicily indicate that these two gases consists of up to 40 % of a mantle component, the latter decreasing to the east down to 10% where CO2 of thermometamorphic origin dominates. Accordingly, conceptual models of the fluid circulation for the western, central and eastern sectors are proposed. The regional geothermal reservoir, hosted in carbonates in the western sector and locally outcropping, is of low to medium temperature. Higher temperature conditions (up to 200-220°C) are suggested by geothermometry and probably related to deeper levels of the system. Sicily can be regarded as a potentially suitable area for future investigations to evaluate specific activities aimed at exploiting the geothermal resource.
We propose a novel multidisciplinary approach to image the thermo‐rheological stratification beneath active volcanic areas, such as Long Valley Caldera (LVC). We performed a thermal fluid dynamic model via optimization procedure of the thermal conditions of the crust. We characterize the topology of the hot magmatic bodies and the hot fluid circulation (the permeable fault‐zones), using both a novel imaging of the a and b parameters of the Gutenberg‐Richter law and an innovative procedure analysis of P‐wave tomographic models. The optimization procedure provides the permeability of a reservoir (5.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ m²) and of the fault‐zone (5.0 · 10⁻¹⁴ – 1.0 × 10⁻¹³ m²), as well as the temperature of the magma body (750–800°C). The imaging of the rheological properties of the crust indicates that the brittle/ductile transition occurs about 5 km b.s.l. depth, beneath the resurgent dome. There are again deeper brittle conditions about 15 km b.s.l., agreeing with the previous observations. The comparison between the conductive and the conductive‐convective heat transfer models highlights that the deeper fluid circulation efficiently cools the volumes above the magmatic body, transferring the heat to the shallow geothermal system. This process has a significant impact on the rheological properties of the upper crust as the migration of the B/D transition. Our findings show an active magmatic system (6–10 km deep) and confirm that LVC is a long‐life silicic caldera system.
In this paper we develop a model of the ground deformation behaviour occurred at Ischia Island (Southern Italy) in the 1992–2010 time period. The model is employed to investigate the forces and physical parameters of the crust controlling the subsidence of the Island. To this aim, we integrate and homogenize in a Finite Element (FE) environment a large amount of data derived from several and different observation techniques (i.e., geological, geophysical and remote sensing). In detail, the main steps of the multiphysics model are: (i) the generation of a 3D geological model of the crust beneath the Island by merging the available geological and geophysical information; (ii) the optimization of a 3D thermal model by exploiting the thermal measurements available in literature; (iii) the definition of the 3D Brittle/Ductile transition by using the temperature distribution of the crust and the physical information of the rocks; (iv) the optimization of the ground deformation velocity model (that takes into account the rheological stratification) by considering the spatial and temporal information detected via satellite multi-orbit C-Band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) measurements acquired during the 1992–2010 time period. The achieved results allow investigating the physical process responsible for the observed ground deformation pattern. In particular, they reveal how the rheology modulates the spatial and temporal evolution of the long-term subsidence phenomenon, highlighting a coupling effect of the viscosities of the rocks and the gravitational loading of the volcano edifice. Moreover, the achieved results provide a very detailed and realistic velocity field image of the subsurface crust of the Ischia Island Volcano.
