Compositional data: analytical approach and final aims. Fluids from volcanic, and hydrothermal environments. Volcanic monitoring and geothermal prospection. Fluid composition from primary sources and secondary processes. Geochemical tracers. Isotopes of noble gases. Limnology related to volcanic lakes. Chemical equilibria and disequilibria in natural environments. Isotopic fractionation of Carbon. Origin and behaviour of volatile organic compound from volcanic and geothermal environments.
Power point presentations. Scientific papers published by international journals.
Learning Objectives
The main objective of the course is to provide to the students tools for the study of the behaviour of fluids from vocanic and geothermal environments. A further objective is to provide to the students tools for the geochemical monitoring of active volcanoes and productive geothermal fields based on chemical and isotopic parameters.
Prerequisites
no
Teaching Methods
Power point presentations added to Moodle. Fieldtrips (Mt. Amiata; GAG official fieldtrip).
Further information
6CFU Attending the course is not mandatory but highly recommended.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam: the student should answer to several questions related to the main topics of the course. The exam will start from a scientific article provided by the teacher. The critical capability of the course topics will be evaluated.
Course program
The course provides basic concepts of geochemical processes regulating the chemical and isotopic composition of fluids from natural (volcanoes, geothermal systems, thermal areas). The main potential primary sources of fluids are investigated, as well as the effects on their chemistry of secondary processes. The course will take into account the behaviour of environmental tracers for themes concerning contamination of air and natural waters.A particular attention will be devoted to the use of geochemical parameters for geothermal prospection and volcano monitoring. Moreover, tematics concerning geochemical-biological processes controlling geochemical features of volcanic lakes will be treated, preceeded by a breif overview on limnology. Several examples (key studies) from volcanic areas will be shown: crisis of the 90ties at Vylcano Island with conceptual model; 2) Lastarria volcano (Cile); 3) Teide (Canary Island); Tenorio (Costa Rica).